Star Wars: Dying fan to get early screening, Bob Iger confirms

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the last film in the current trilogy

A dying man and his son will be able to watch the new Star Wars film before it goes on general release, Disney's CEO Bob Iger has said.

Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville, Hampshire, sent out a plea on Twitter asking for an early screening of the movie, which is due out on 20 December.

The hospice said: "This is our most desperate hour. Sadly, time is not on his side for 20th Dec."

After receiving confirmation, Rowans said it "cannot thank Disney enough"

The hospice tweeted on Wednesday asking for help for the patient to see the film, attracting hundreds of retweets.

The hospice received confirmation of the news from Bob Iger

Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamil showed his support by replying to the message wishing the hospice "good luck" with the plea.

In response, Mr Iger said "we will certainly try".

He then tweeted again on Thursday to say: "On this Thanksgiving, we at @Disney are grateful to be able to share #TheRiseOfSkywalker with a patient and his family @RowansHospice. May the force be with you and with us all!"

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Lisa Davies, a healthcare support worker, who initially brought the patient's wish to the attention of the rest of the staff at Rowans, said she was "utterly speechless" at the news.

"We totally appreciate that Disney have had to move mountains to make this happen," she said.

"The response from everyone, including the Star Wars community, has been absolutely phenomenal over the last few days.

"We also want to thank the media for covering the story and totally respecting the privacy of the family," she added.