Star Wars: The Force Awakens, also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, is a 2015 American epic space opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to Return of the Jedi (1983), it is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and chronologically the seventh film of the "Skywalker Saga". Set thirty years after Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens follows Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Han Solo's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire. The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.
Work on a seventh entry in the "Skywalker Saga" commenced after the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The film is the first Star Wars film to not extensively involve franchise creator George Lucas, who only served as a creative consultant in the early stages of production. The Force Awakens was produced by Abrams, his longtime collaborator Bryan Burk, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi, rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt. John Williams, composer for the previous episodic films, returned to compose the score. Principal photography began in April 2014 and concluded the following November. Filming took place on sets at Pinewood Studios in England, and on location mainly in Abu Dhabi, Iceland, and Ireland. On a net budget of $536 million, it is the most expensive film ever made.
The Force Awakens premiered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on December 14, 2015, and was released in the United States on December 18, making it the first live action Star Wars film to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It received positive reviews and grossed $2.07billion worldwide, breaking numerous box office records. It finished its theatrical run as highest-grossing film of 2015, the highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada, and the third-highest-grossing film worldwide. Among its accolades, it received five nominations at the 88th Academy Awards. The film was followed by The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), rounding out the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Plot
Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, the First Order has risen from the fallen Galactic Empire and seeks to destroy the New Republic. General Leia Organa leads The Resistance against the First Order, while also searching for her lost twin brother Luke Skywalker.
On the desert planet Jakku, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron receives a map to Luke's location before being captured by First Order stormtroopers commanded by Kylo Ren. His droid, , escapes with the map and encounters Rey, a solitary scavenger. Ren tortures Poe using the Force and learns of . A disillusioned stormtrooper called rescues Poe and the two escape in a stolen TIE fighter. Upon learning that has no other name, Poe names him "Finn". As they head to Jakku to retrieve , the First Order shoots them down, and they crash-land. Finn survives and assumes Poe was killed after finding his jacket in the wreck. Finn encounters Rey and , and the First Order tries to destroy the three of them with an aerial bombardment. The trio steals the Millennium Falcon and escapes Jakku.
The Falcon is boarded and reclaimed by Han Solo and Chewbacca. Gangs seeking to settle debts with Han attack, but Han, Chewbacca, Finn, Rey and BB-8 escape in the Falcon. At the First Order's Starkiller Base—a planet converted into a superweapon—Supreme Leader Snoke approves General Hux's weapon for use on the New Republic. Snoke questions Ren's ability to deal with emotions surrounding his father, Han Solo, whom Ren states means nothing to him.
Aboard the Falcon, Han determines that BB-8's map is incomplete. He explains that Luke attempted to rebuild the Jedi Order but exiled himself when an apprentice turned to the dark side of the Force and slaughtered the other apprentices. The crew travels to the planet Takodana and meets with Maz Kanata, who offers to help deliver BB-8 to the Resistance. The Force draws Rey to a secluded vault, where she finds Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. She experiences disturbing visions, including a childhood memory of being abandoned on Jakku. Maz encourages her to take the lightsaber, but she flees into the woods. Maz gives Finn the lightsaber for safekeeping.
Starkiller Base destroys the Hosnian star system, including the New Republic capital Hosnian Prime, leaving the Resistance without support. The First Order attacks Takodana in search of . Han, Chewbacca, and Finn are saved by Resistance X-wing fighters led by Poe, who survived the crash. Leia arrives at Takodana and reunites with Han; it is revealed that she is Ren's mother. Meanwhile, Ren captures Rey, realizing she had seen the map. He takes her to Starkiller Base, where she resists his attempts to read her mind. Discovering she can use the Force, Rey escapes using a Jedi mind trick on a stormtrooper guard.
As Starkiller Base prepares to fire again, the Resistance plans to destroy it by attacking its thermal oscillator. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrate the base, find Rey and plant explosives. Han confronts Ren, calling him by his birth name, Ben Solo, and implores him to abandon the dark side. Ren seems to consider this, but ultimately kills Han. A devastated Chewbacca shoots Ren, injuring him, and sets off the explosives, allowing Poe to attack and destroy the oscillator.
Ren pursues Rey and Finn into the woods and incapacitates Rey. Finn uses the lightsaber to duel Ren but is quickly defeated. Rey awakens, takes the lightsaber, and defeats Ren in a duel. Chewbacca saves Rey and the injured Finn and they escape aboard the Falcon. As the Resistance forces flee, Starkiller Base explodes. R2-D2 reveals the rest of the map, which points to the planet Ahch-To. Leaving Finn to recover from his wounds, Rey, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 travel to Ahch-To on the Falcon. Rey finds Luke atop a cliff and presents him with the lightsaber.
Cast
Harrison Ford as Han Solo: A smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker: The last Jedi, who has gone into hiding Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa: A leader of the Resistance Adam Driver as Kylo Ren: A leader of the Knights of Ren and a warlord of the First Order, who is the son of Han and Leia Daisy Ridley as Rey: A Force-sensitive scavenger Cailey Fleming as young Rey John Boyega as Finn: A reformed First Order stormtrooper Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron: A high-ranking X-wing fighter pilot of the Resistance Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata: A centuries-old and perceptive alien who owns a castle on the peaceful forest planet Takodana Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke: An enigmatic, genetically artificial leader of the First Order Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux: The commander of the First Order's Starkiller Base Anthony Daniels as C-3PO: A humanoid protocol droid Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca: Han's loyal Wookiee friend and co-pilot Joonas Suotamo and Ian Whyte served as body doubles for Mayhew as he suffered from health problems Max von Sydow as Lor San Tekka: A galactic explorer searching for Luke Skywalker
Tim Rose and Mike Quinn reprise their respective roles as Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb from Return of the Jedi, with Erik Bauersfeld and Kipsang Rotich returning their respective voices. Kenny Baker, originally announced as part of the cast, was credited as "consultant" for R2-D2, with Jimmy Vee performing some of the work for R2-D2. Ewan McGregor has an uncredited vocal cameo as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Rey's vision sequence, while archival audio of Frank Oz and Alec Guinness as Yoda and Kenobi, respectively, are also used in the same scene; Oz recorded new dialogue for the film, but it was replaced with preexisting audio from The Empire Strikes Back. Star Wars: The Clone Wars voice actor James Arnold Taylor, who has voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in different Star Wars media, originally recorded Kenobi's dialogue, but his recordings were replaced with McGregor's.
Gwendoline Christie portrays Captain Phasma, the commander of the First Order's legions of stormtroopers. Dave Chapman and Brian Herring served as puppeteers for BB-8, with Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz credited as "Vocal Consultants". Ken Leung appears as Statura, an admiral in the Resistance. Simon Pegg appears as Unkar Plutt, the Junk parts dealer on Jakku. Greg Grunberg plays Temmin "Snap" Wexley, an X-wing pilot. Kiran Shah plays Teedo, a scavenger on Jakku who rides a semi-mechanical Luggabeast. Jessica Henwick appears as Jess "Testor" Pava or Jess Testor, an X-wing pilot. Brian Vernel appears as Bala-Tik, the leader of the Guavian Death Gang. Yayan Ruhian and Iko Uwais appear as Tasu Leech and Razoo Qin-Fee, members of the Kanjiklub Gang, a criminal organization. Warwick Davis appears as Wollivan, a tavern-dweller in Maz Kanata's castle. Anna Brewster appears as Bazine Netal, a First Order spy, also at Maz Kanata's castle. Hannah John-Kamen appears as a First Order officer. Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Kate Fleetwood play First Order Petty Officers, Thanisson and Unamo, respectively. Billie Lourd, daughter of Carrie Fisher, appears as Connix, a lieutenant in the Resistance. Members of the Resistance include Emun Elliott as Brance and Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Korr Sella while Harriet Walter appears as Kalonia, the doctor who tends to Chewbacca. Mark Stanley appears as a Knight of Ren. Sebastian Armesto portrays Lieutenant Mitaka and Pip Torrens portrays Colonel Kaplan, both serving the First Order.
Daniel Craig, Michael Giacchino, and Nigel Godrich cameo as stormtroopers. Abrams' assistant, Morgan Dameron, appears as a Resistance officer, while his father, Gerald W. Abrams, appears as Captain Cypress. Dialect coach Andrew Jack portrays Resistance Major Caluan Ematt. Additionally, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Christina Chong, Miltos Yerolemou, Amybeth Hargreaves, Leanne Best, Judah Friedlander, and Kevin Smith appear in minor roles. Riot control stormtrooper FN-2199, who calls Finn a traitor during the battle on Takodana, was portrayed by stunt performer Liang Yang and voiced by sound editor David Acord.
Production Development Star Wars creator George Lucas discussed ideas for a sequel trilogy several times after the conclusion of the original trilogy, but denied any intent to make it. A seventh entry in the "Skywalker Saga", a nine-part Star Wars series, began development shortly after Lucas sold his production company Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company in October 2012. Speaking alongside Lucasfilm's new president, Kathleen Kennedy, Lucas said: "I always said I wasn't going to do any more and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more."
As creative consultant on the film, Lucas attended early story meetings and advised on the details of the Star Wars universe. Among the materials he turned over to the production team were his rough story treatments for Episodes VII–IX, which Lucas requested be read only by Kennedy, Bob Iger, Alan F. Horn, and Kevin A. Mayer. Lucas later said Disney had discarded his story ideas and that he had no further involvement with the film. Lucas' son Jett told The Guardian that his father was "very torn" about having sold the rights to the franchise and was "there to guide" but that "he wants to let it go and become its new generation".