Star Wars: The Force Awakens - fan verdict so far

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Grant Dixon

A new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was simulcast around the world on Thursday, revealing new details about the film which comes out in December.

Twenty-three countries, including China, live-streamed the event hosted in LA.

Fans camped overnight to get a place at one of the prized seats in central London.

And it was all to see JJ Abrams reveal more about The Force Awakens.

The film isn't even out until December.

Newsbeat asked super fan Grant Dixon to sum up what he learned and how he felt after watching the trailer.

Watch the new trailer here, external

"It was amazing. My heart was racing right before the trailer was about to come out. I knew it was coming but there was so much suspense. And then that opening shot of the Star Destroyer crashing on the planets surface was just... it took my breath away.

Image source, BBC/DISNEY

"I needed a second viewing just to process what I had seen. It was absolutely amazing."

JJ Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy, The Force Awakens' producer, showed a number of on-set behind-the-scenes pictures.

The first, showing JJ and Kathleen in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, got the loudest cheer.

It was because JJ expressed the importance of making "practical sets" which fans could touch rather than CGI stand ins.

For 23-year-old Grant it was all about the BB8 robot, which he deemed as "amazing".

Image source, AP

"I couldn't believe that it actually works. I figured it was going to be some CGI trick. But the practical effect was amazing. I thought it was interesting that it's not Tatooine. But JJ has a tendency to hide and trick you.

"I'm going to pass judgement once I see the movie in December, but right now I think it's really interesting, I think there's lots to go off of."

Grant added: "I think that was probably the biggest thing. You kind of knew the old guys were going to be around and there were these new cast and they were going to have a mixture of who towed the line between good and bad. So you got all of that.

Image source, DISNEY

"But it's the environments which are, for me, the most interesting. Because the characters are going to be there. But its interesting, where are they going to be, how are they going to interact with that environment, what's happening?"

New things we learnt about Star Wars: The Force Awakens

  • There's a new world called Jakka

  • BB8 was built to be a real operating robot

  • Jon Boyega's character Finn is "in incredible danger which changes his life"

  • Carrie Fisher says there'll be no buns or gold bikinis when she returns as Princess Leia

  • Oscar Isaac's character Poe Dameron "is sent on a mission by a certain princess"

  • There are four new drones designed for each X-Wing which will correspond for each pilot

  • There are new redesigned Stormtroopers

"We still don't know what's happening, but you're getting cues about where people are and why they're there," Grant said.

Image source, DISNEY

Why John Boyega was hilarious...

  • He got Harrison Ford to sign some Han Solo merchandise on set - Harrison Ford's response "This is weird"

  • He didn't tell his parents he'd got a part on Star Wars, instead told them he was off filming 24

  • Only broke the news to his parents when the cast photo was released

  • Wouldn't confirm whether his character Finn is a Stormtrooper or not

John Boyega returned to Twitter with this tweet of him and the other new characters., external

Grant gave Newsbeat his opinion on John Boyega's character Finn.

"I think he's a Stormtrooper. But why does a Stormtrooper have to be bad? They're trained. But if he has a realisation that he's doing something that's horrible and just 'I can't do this anymore', what's to say he doesn't turn on the Stormtroopers and switch sides?

"It happens. We haven't seen it yet in Star Wars, but why couldn't it happen? Good guys turn bad, so why can't bad guys turn good?"

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