The Force Awakens premiere: Star Wars actors hit red carpet for Episode VII debut in LA
STAR WARS creator George Lucas has given his seal of approval to The Force Awakens, the newest installment in the sci-fi saga.
Lucas was spotted laughing with director and co-writer JJ Abrams ahead of the film's premiere in Los Angeles last night.
He revealed: "It's a film about families and what one generation leaves behind another generation has to deal with."
He added: "I started off wanting to do a film for young people who were going through adolescence, with mythological themes and spiritual themes.
"That is what resonated with people."
The plot of the movie is a closely guarded secret but dedicated fans have camped out for days to catch a glimpse of the film's stars.
They roared as C-3PO and R2D2 walked down the red carpet together and Peter Mayhew – who plays Chewbacca – stepped out of his car with a lightsaber cane.
Harrison Ford – who plays Han Solo – arrived at the premiere in a dark suit while the droid BB-8 rolled along the red carpet.
The seventh instalment in the series reunites Ford with original cast members Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.
They are joined by newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson and Gwendoline Christie.
Ford, now 73, said making a Star Wars movie now is a far cry from making one in the 1970s.
He said: "In the 70s nobody knew what to anticipate, nobody had seen anything like it. Now we have to live up to what the first films delivered."
Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, refused to shed any light on why his character was absent from the official poster.
He said: "The decision to keep my character mysterious means Harrison and Carrie are doing all the heavy lifting at the moment."
He added that the biggest challenge of returning to the role was "trying to figure out what he's been doing all these years", adding: "We last saw him in the [1983's] Return of the Jedi."
Oscar winner Nyong'o arrived on the red carpet in a dark floor-length sparkling gown, saying: "I thought I would bring the galaxy with me."
The actress, who portrays Maz Kanata, said the premiere was an overwhelming experience.
She said: "I don't think you can really fully appreciate it in this moment, I feel so lucky and blessed and I'm geeking out. I feel really happy."
Driver, who plays Kylo Ren in the film, said his action figures mean he already has Christmas presents sorted.
He said: "I'm set for this year and the next couple of years. Everybody gets a picture of me."
The Girls star also praised the original cast members, saying: "They couldn't be more excited to be there."
Andy Serkis, who plays Supreme Leader Snoke, refused to reveal anything about his character as he arrived at the premiere.
The Lord of the Rings star said: "Everything has been shrouded in secrecy because nobody wanted to spoil it for anybody.
"Everybody wants to know but also wants to wait and see the movie."
Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrived in a floor-length pale grey gown with a black bow detail at the neck.
She said she was "really privileged" to portray the first female villain in Star Wars history, adding: "I felt it was progressive as a female character.
"There was a liberation in the body being covered in practical armour and for the focus to be on the character rather than the way the physical form looked."
I think Rey is a great character for people to see
Young British actress Daisy Ridley, who stars as Rey, opted for a sheer white halterneck gown with a tiered skirt.
Speaking about her character, she said: "It's amazing that it reaches the audience it does.
"I think Rey is a great character for people to see and perhaps relate to her, and see something in her that they feel and connect with the story.
"That, I just think, is amazing."
Fellow Briton John Boyega, who plays Finn, wore a shimmering maroon tuxedo jacket with a black bowtie and black leather gloves.
Boyega has been a big fan since he was a child and he said he was blown away by the scale of the premiere.
He said: "To be here in this capacity makes me so, so happy. Finn is the first Stormtrooper where we have gone into his individuality.
"He leaves the First Order and meets Rey and BB and they go on a journey together."
Abrams – who has previously directed two Star Trek movies – said he was not looking to put his own mark on the Star Wars film, but instead wanted to honour the story.
He said: "I don't look at the things I do from a vantage point of putting a stamp on it, I'm trying to service the master of the stories and the characters.
"It feels like it has been three years of a lot of work but at the same time it's like, 'How did this happen so quickly?'."
Director Steven Spielberg, who has known Abrams since he was a teenager, said he was very proud of what he had accomplished.
He added: "The cultural event of the first Star Wars was a seismic shock wave that went round the world and never went away.
"No franchise in the history of motion pictures has been as incendiary and enduring as Star Wars."