The force is back and bigger than ever! Some very lucky Star Wars fans finally got to see J.J. Abrams‘ highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens during its world premiere in L.A. on Monday, December 14.
Celebrities and critics alike rubbed shoulders on the red carpet, which was at least half a mile long. Stars of the film who attended included John Boyega, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie.
Other guests who snagged a ticket included Star Wars creator George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Sofia Vergara, Joe Manganiello, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jason Bateman, Gina Rodriguez, Elizabeth Banks, Calista Flockhart, Rob Lowe, Geena Davis, Jaime King and Jennifer Grey.
The star-studded crowd took selfies (Lowe grabbed Fisher and Hamill for one!) and made way for beloved characters such as R2-D2 and C-3PO and for Stormtroopers galore.
Ford, for his part, was ecstatic to reprise his role as Han Solo and rejoin his costars for the seventh installment. “[I] thought it was a great idea because I needed a job!” he told Us Weekly at the event.
Christie, meanwhile, was beside herself amid the flashing lights. “[It’s] so overwhelming. How can anyone ever, ever, ever believe that this sort of thing would happen?” the Game of Thrones actress, who plays Captain Phasma in the flick, told Us. “But as clichéd as it may sound, I think it does give a bit of wonderful hope that sometimes those dreams can actually come true.”
As the red carpet came to an end, attendees took their seats for the two-hour feature. The jam-packed fantasy was chock-full of lightsabers, new faces and plenty of nostalgia-charged scenes.
Check out how the first viewers reacted to the big blockbuster:
Me and Walter are the only ones dressed up at the Premiere!! #ChubbyJedi pic.twitter.com/lVZEHNqvYf
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) December 15, 2015
1st Star Wars review: it was epic, awesome & perfect. The cast was stellar. JJ killed it!
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) December 15, 2015
The Force has undoubtedly awakened. It’s everything we’ve been waiting for. Can’t wait for the world to see it-keepin my mouth shut til then
— Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) December 15, 2015
Holy crap, that Star Wars #TheForceAwakens is so good in the best old-school way! #StarWarsPremiere
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) December 15, 2015
So, we just got home from the @starwars premiere. WOW!!!!!!! Couldn’t be more excited for everyone to see it. Congrats #BryanBurk
— Kevin Zegers (@KevinZegers) December 15, 2015
And without spoiling it, I can say that #StarWarsForceAwakens has the BEST final shot of any Star Wars film. Wow.
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) December 15, 2015
Amazing!Amazing!Amazing! In awe. It’s all you want it to be.Old/new/funny/heartbreaking.Daisy Ridley is astonishing! pic.twitter.com/XKoyw8XXcj
— Fred Savage (@thefredsavage) December 15, 2015
Luke. Leia. Legends. #starwars. pic.twitter.com/O7W0jdVnWe
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) December 15, 2015
There’s a new hero in town, in a movie that DELIVERS. Cried like a baby, whooped like a teen! #StarWarsForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/apo0EHr7EA
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) December 15, 2015
Incredible. No words… #starwarspremiere pic.twitter.com/jYlb05quh9
— Bryce Dallas Howard (@BryceDHoward) December 15, 2015
Story, characters, design, humor — #StarWars fans, this is the movie you’re looking for.
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) December 15, 2015
#TheForceAwakens is not ~perfect~, but I just spent half the night dreaming exclusively about #StarWars, and I take that as a good sign.
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) December 15, 2015
Star Wars premiere just letting out now. A LOT of smiling faces. #StarWarsForceAwakens
— Matthew Belloni (@THRMattBelloni) December 15, 2015
Short #TheForceAwakens reaction. It’s everything you want it to be. See it ASAP. Beware of spoilers. It’s funny, fun and exciting.
— Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) December 15, 2015
The Force Awakens is soooo Star Wars, and Daisy Ridley is the business, and #StarWars
— jen yamato (@jenyamato) December 15, 2015
Quite simply: This is the STAR WARS movie you’re looking for. #TheForceAwakens
— Glenn Whipp (@GlennWhipp) December 15, 2015
