J.J. Abrams may have announced that the trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens released back in October would be the last official trailer for the much-anticipated sequel, but apparently the acclaimed director meant that it would simply be the last trailer for U.S. audiences — because another one has arrived online that’s packed with fresh footage.
Walt Disney Studios Japan posted the new trailer this week, and along with all of the aforementioned fresh footage, it also provides a few more hints about the focus of the story in The Force Awakens.
Clocking in at just under two minutes, the new trailer is an English-language preview with Japanese subtitles features Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey, quite prominently.
Early in the trailer, Rey can be heard telling an unknown character that she “knows all about waiting” and that she’s been waiting for her “family.” She’s seen walking through the desert with the now-famous ball droid BB-8, and is later seen in a tent village with John Boyega’s character, Finn. The sight of TIE fighters in the sky sends the village scrambling, though, and for good reason as a group of stormtroopers led by Captain Phasma (Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christy) and the lightsaber-wielding Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is then seen burning the village to the ground.
Later scenes depict Rey and Finn’s first introduction, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) blowing something up, and Kylo Ren threatening Rey with his triple-bladed lightsaber. The trailer ends with a voice declaring that “Hope is not lost today. It is found.”
Without venturing into spoiler territory, it certainly seems as if Rey (or possibly Finn) are being pursued by the Empire — specifically, Kylo Ren — for some nefarious purpose, and their pursuers are willing to destroy everything that gets in their way.
Set 30 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens introduces a new set of heroes and villains to the Star Wars universe, while also bringing back a long list of fan-favorite characters from the previous films. The film stars returning cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker, as well as newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong, and Miltos Yerolemou.
Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens hits theaters December 18, 2015.
