Move over Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani, the biggest film event of the year Star Wars: The Force Awakens had its illustrious premiere last night in Hollywood.
Photo Credit: EW
Fans camped out for days at the three historic cinemas the Chinese, Dolby and El Capitan theatres. Disney mounted a premiere that involved more preparations than even the Oscars with a huge tent blocking off four blocks of Hollywood Boulevard. Security was extra tight with police dogs and metal detectors, along with 50 police officers on hand to check bags.
The three original stars, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford, attended to a standing ovation from the crowd. But in keeping it off-kilter, Fisher swore a lot of times during the film’s live feed of the premiere with her comments about her younger self.
Photo Credit: EW
“She was very busy partying, partying to make sure I would look like shit later. And I don’t mean shit. By shit, I mean not as good as in the other sense.”
Fisher has been a great and unpredictable presence on the campaign trail for the film, whispering the ending to Jimmy Kimmel and taking interviews with Gary, her adorable French bulldog.
The new generation of the franchise, Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) also received enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
Photo Credit: EW
Gwendoline Christie, who’s playing the first female stormtrooper in the film, noted the commitment to diversity. “I think it’s incredible. I just feel very grateful to be a part of this amazing film, let alone be one of the female characters. I just feel like LucasFilm and Disney really listened to what people want and in being more diverse with the casting choices.
There was a standing ovation after the film for director George Lucas who helmed the original films, and it seems like a gratifying end to a press tour where he’s compared selling the rights to the Star Wars brand to Disney in October 2012 to a divorce.
Photo Credit: EW
A little known fact is that Lucas was quite inspired by the Upanishads, the Hindu text and Indian esotericism that was abundant in the Seventies. He explained to The Guardian that, “it started out wanting to do a film for young people that had psychological undercurrents for people who were going through adolescence – everything from mythological themes to spiritual themes. In the end, I think that is the thing that resonated with people.”
The film is expected to be one of the highest grossing films of the year, and possibly beat Avatar’s $2.7 billion at the global box office. Aside from its mammoth box office potential, the few critics that attended the premiere already tweeted their praises, and celebs like Joseph Gordon Levitt paid the ultimate tribute: going green.
Photo Credit: EW
Main Image Photo Credit: EW
Rumnique Nannar
Author
Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...
COMMENTS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
-
Brendan D'Souza Will Never Cheat On Their One True Love (Stand Up!)
-
Event Alert: South Asian Global Cinema Takes Centre Stage At The International South Asian Film Festival
-
Diwali Comes Alive At Walt Disney World With The First Ever Diwali Dance Fest
-
TIFF 2023: 11 South Asian Films Coming To The Toronto International Film Festival
-
Hot September 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Singers Karan Aujla & Jonita Gandhi Sign On To Warner Music Canada/India's Label '91 North Records'
-
4 Ways Alia Bhatt Steals The Show In The Hot Netflix Film "Heart Of Stone"
-
Priyanka And Nick Jonas Get Ready For The Jonas Brothers' Tour At Yankee Stadium!
-
Hot August 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
5 Reasons Why You Should Watch “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”
-
JFL Exclusive: How Comedian Zarna Garg Showed Kevin Hart That Brown Women Can Be Funny Too
-
JFL Exclusive: Award-Winning Podcast Comedian Maddy Kelly Is The Next Gen Star
-
Hot July 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Event Alert: “Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical" Kicks Off Canadian Tour With Upcoming Toronto Stop
-
#ANOKHI20: The ANOKHI Emerald Ball Was The Perfect Grand Finale To ANOKHI’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations
-
Pride 2023: 10 Bollywood Films That Honour Our Desi LGBTQIA+ Family
-
Hot Summer Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Review: 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' Is For The Ones Who Love Love!
-
Pamela Mala Sinha's Latest Play "NEW" Breathes Fresh Life Into Our Parents' Immigrant Story
-
Dilpreet Bhattal Proved Her Mettle On CBC's "Canada's Ultimate Challenge"
-
Here's Why You Can't Miss The 12th South Asian Film Festival Of Montréal
-
The First Ever South Asian House At SXSW Made All Sorts Of History
-
Hot April 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
'Canada's Got Talent' Judge Lilly Singh Wants Us To Get Ready To Be Amazed
-
Don't Miss Out On The 10th Annual Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
-
Oscars 2023 Highlights: How Our South Asian Stars Took Over Tinseltown
-
Hot March 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Ali Hassan Shares Comedic Life Lessons In His Memoir “Is There Bacon In Heaven?”
-
Nisha Pahuja Follows A Father's Search For Justice In Her Latest Doc "To Kill A Tiger"
-
From South India to LA, R&B Star Malavika Is Set Sizzle In 2023!
-
CBC's "Bollywed" Spotlights Chandan Fashion's Iconic Family Bridal Business
-
Hot February 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Is Mindy Kaling A Self-Hating South Asian?
-
The Harry & Meghan Drama: What Would Happen If They Were Desi?
-
Star Rakhee Morzaria Dishes On Season 2 Of CBC Sitcom “Run The Burbs”
-
Hot January 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Nandita Das Delivers A Riveting Gig-Economy Drama In ‘Zwigato’
-
Hot December 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
"Four Samosas" Director Ravi Kapoor And Star Venk Potula Dish On This Heist Comedy
-
South Asian-Authored Books That Make The Best Gifts
-
Highlights From The Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF)
-
Hamza Haq Dishes On His Out-Of-This-World TIFF Drama “Viking”
-
Hot November 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Al Mukadam Is Magnificent In The Romantic-Thriller "Nightalk"
-
Why Humayun Saeed In "The Crown" Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation
-
From Kamala Harris To Manish Malhotra: Celeb Diwali Parties Are Such a Vibe This Year!
-
Documentarian Vinay Shukla Tells The Sobering Story Of Modern-Day Journalism in "While We Watched"
-
Hot October 2022 Films From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Director Shubham Yogi Discusses His Uplifting Cricket Dramedy "Kacchey Limbu" Starring Radhika Madan
-
TIFF 2022 Review: "Viking" A Profound Film That Shines Among The Stars
-
Masala Coffee: The Coolest Fusion Band You Need To Know
-
TIFF 2022: Our Preview Of The Top South Asian Films And Stars At This Year's Fest
-
Check Out These September 2022 Films From Bollywood & Beyond
-
Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia (IFFSA)
-
Actor, Producer, Writer Dana Abraham Shares Why He Couldn't Pass Up "Neon Lights"
-
5 Best Beach Reads By South Asian Authors
-
Check Out These August 2022 Films From Bollywood & Beyond
-
America’s Music Man: This World Record Holder Learned To Play 107 Instruments All By Himself
-
Check Out These July 2022 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond
-
Praneet Akilla From Latest CBC Drama “Sky Med” Talks About Why This Medical Drama Is Next Level
