Celebration Anaheim brought us a much deeper look into The Force Awakens! I have tried to stay away from spoilers as I want the major contents and plot points of the movie to be a surprise. Having said that, this blog will NOT have any plot spoilers. As many of us expected, Celebration Anaheim did not disappoint the fans with teasers and exhibits that relate to the much anticipated film this Christmas.
As Thursday approached, fans anxiously waited in a queue line overnight to get into the main Celebration Stage. This opening ceremony would give fans a glimpse of J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy and hopefully a new trailer. Although waiting in line was an inconvenience, it gave fans time to meet other people who are passionate about the same thing as they are. People were playing Star Wars games, walking around with lightsabers, news crews were interviewing fans and everyone was socializing like a big family that was just reunited. Wristbands were handed out a few hours before we were allowed into the arena.
Fans wait overnight for the Celebration Opening Ceremonies.
The time was finally here for fans to enter the arena. The arena was flooded with anxious Star Wars fans! The DJ and MC were very entertaining as we waited for the show to start. Star Wars t-shirts were launched from cannons for fans to grab and great Star Wars music filled the arena.
Fans cheer in anticipation of what they are about to see.
J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy finally made their way out onto the stage. They revealed a lot of new behind-the-scenes photos, introduced us to the R2 builders who built the R2 for the movie, and brought some very special guests to the stage. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaacs all made an appearance on stage. Although they did not reveal too much about the movie, they did mention that the desert planet we saw in the teaser trailer is not Tatooine. The planet is called Jakku. It wasn't long before old stars made their way onto the stage as well. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew all waved to the thousands of screaming fans. Stormtroopers in The Force Awakens armor walked onto the stage and fans got their first glimpse at the full armor for the new troopers. BB-8 and R2-D2 also made a brief appearance.
The time that everyone was waiting for was here. The TRAILER! The screen went dark and the entire arena erupted with excitement. The trailer lasted just under 2 minutes long. Fans were screaming, crying, jumping up and down and just plain "freaking out" over the trailer. There was such a great fan reaction that the trailer was played a second time. After the trailer finished for the second time, people slowly made their way out of the arena. Fans were giving friends hugs and holding back "happy tears". Teaser posters were given out as we exited the arena. The new trailer can be seen here:
In addition to the opening ceremonies, there was The Force Awakens Exhibit on the second floor of the convention center. The exhibit contained costumes, props and models used in the new movie. Fans rushed to this exhibit when the doors opened at 10 a.m. to make sure they secured a spot for this unique experience. The line for this exhibit filled up fast and the Celebration staff even had to shut down the line at one point due to popular interest. This exhibit contained the costumes of: Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, a few nomads, Stormtroopers, Snow Trooper, and a Flametrooper. The props and models included: BB-8, Kylo Ren's lightsaber and models of the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing.
Fans enjoy The Force Awakens Exhibit.
Next to each item in this exhibit was a plaque describing what the viewer was looking at. The plaque also mentioned the materials used to make the costume or prop. More pictures of the exhibit can be found here:
Not only was there an exhibit and a new trailer, but there was a big presence on the show floor. There was a big "fudgesicle" speeder on the floor which fans could take pictures of. Anovos also had a display of their new Stormtrooper costumes.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage of Celebration Anaheim from Twin Suns Outpost!