Star Wars : Episode VII The Force Awakens Star Wars " : Episode VII " The Force Awakens , marketed as Star Wars : The Force Awakens , is a 2015 film directed by J . J . Abrams ; co - written by Abrams , Lawrence Kasdan , and Michael Arndt ; and produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Bad Robot Productions . It is the first film in the " Star Wars " sequel trilogy . The film stars Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Anthony Daniels , and Peter Mayhew reprising their original roles . The original actors are joined by a host of new actors including Adam Driver , Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , and Oscar Isaac . The story begins thirty years after the events of . The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire and is opposed by General Leia Organa and the Resistance , both of which seek to find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker . In the midst of this search , new heroes rise in the form of Rey , a Force - sensitive scavenger from Jakku ; Finn , a stormtrooper who defected from the First Order ; and Poe Dameron , the best pilot in the Resistance . They are aided by Han Solo in their search for Skywalker and their mission to destroy the First Order ' s new superweapon , Starkiller Base , which targets the New Republic and the Resistance for destruction . They are opposed by villains such as Kylo Ren , a dark warrior with a mysterious past ; and General Armitage Hux , the commander of Starkiller Base . The film ' s story will continue in and on December 15 , 2017 and in 2019 , respectively . Despite initially claiming that the " Star Wars " story ended with the redemption of Anakin Skywalker in " Return of the Jedi " , and after spending years refuting speculation that there would be another film , " Star Wars " creator George Lucas began work on Episode VII in 2011 in order to increase the value of Lucasfilm before he sold it to The Walt Disney Company , although Disney would later elect to not use Lucas ' story . The acquisition was finalized on October 30 , 2012 , and Disney and Lucasfilm officially announced Episode VII and the sequel trilogy the same day . Lucasfilm later announced that the film would be an original story not beholden to the continuity of the " Star Wars " Expanded Universe , which was rebranded as the non - canon " Star Wars " Legends . " The Force Awakens " was released on December 17 , 2015 in the United Kingdom , Mexico , Latin America , and Asian countries ; December 18 , 2015 in North America ; and January 9 , 2016 in China . Some North American theaters offered special limited advance showings on the evening of December 17th rather than the traditional midnight showing . The film received widespread critical praise upon its release and was a massive box office success , becoming the highest grossing film of all time in North America when not adjusted for inflation . Worldwide , the film is the third highest grossing of all time when not adjusted for inflation . It is currently the highest grossing sequel of all time and the first " Star Wars " film since to be the highest grossing film of its release year worldwide . Synopsis . Attack on Tuanul . Approximately thirty years after the destruction of the second Death Star , Luke Skywalker , the last known surviving Jedi Master , has disappeared . Both the First Order , a successor to the fallen Galactic Empire , and the Resistance , a military force backed by the New Republic and led by Luke ' s twin sister , General Leia Organa , scour the galaxy in an attempt to find him . Leia sends Resistance pilot Poe Dameron on a secret mission to the village of Tuanul on the desert planet Jakku , to meet with village elder Lor San Tekka , who has obtained a map to Luke Skywalker ' s location . During the meeting , First Order stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma attack the village . Poe and his astromech droid BB - 8 attempt to flee in their X - wing starfighter , but a pair of stormtroopers disable the engine s with their blaster s . With no alternative , Poe gives the map to BB - 8 and orders the BB unit to flee . Poe remains behind to cover BB - 8 ' s escape . After stormtrooper FN - 2187 is deployed , FN - 2003 is hit with blaster fire by Poe . FN - 2187 goes to help his squadmate , but FN - 2003 ' s wound proves fatal , and in his final moments , FN - 2003 smears his blood on FN - 2187 ' s helmet before dying , deeply affecting FN - 2187 . After securing the area , the remaining villagers are herded into the town square . Tekka is captured and brought before Kylo Ren , who demands to know where the map leading to Luke is . Tekka responds that he knows who Ren used to be , and chides Ren that he cannot escape his real identity . Growing impatient , Ren kills Tekka by striking him down with his lightsaber . Poe takes a shot at Ren from cover , but Ren casually stops the blaster bolt in mid - air with the Force . Poe is captured , and Ren decides to interrogate him further back on their ship . Before leaving , Phasma asks what to do with the crowd of captive villagers , and Ren orders them all slaughtered . Stormtrooper FN - 2187 is horrified as the massacre plays out in front of him , remaining motionless and not firing his weapon . Return to the " Finalizer " . Returning to the " Finalizer " , FN - 2187 is overwhelmed with emotions because of the death of his squadmate and the massacre of the villagers . He ducks inside an empty shuttle to take his helmet off , breathing heavily , but Phasma notices him and tells him to submit his blaster for inspection , having earlier noticed that he did not fire a shot . Knowing he would be punished and re - evaluated for not firing on the villagers , and with his faith in the First Order severely shaken , he decides to desert . Meanwhile , after failed attempts of torturing Poe for vital information about the map of Luke Skywalker ' s location , Ren uses his mind probe Force power to pry the information from Poe ' s mind . Ren learns that the map is located within a BB series droid that fled the village , and informs General Armitage Hux of the new information . Encounter with the scavenger . Elsewhere on Jakku , a scavenger named Rey traverses the corridors of a downed Star Destroyer at the Graveyard of Giants . Scavenging through the Star Destroyer , she finds a valuable piece of salvage and drops it in her satchel . Rey heads to Niima Outpost , and hauls the sack of salvage throughout the town . She then goes to Unkar Plutt to exchange her scraps for foodstuff , and he offers her a quarter portion for her salvage . After taking the foodstuff , Rey heads to her home , a downed AT - AT , and prepares a meal for herself . After finishing her meal , she watches a starship depart from the planet and then notices a distant sound . She immediately runs off with her quarterstaff to investigate . There , she encounters BB - 8 struggling against being captured by a green - skinned humanoid scavenger named Teedo . She frees the droid and gives it directions to Niima Outpost and sends it on its way , but BB - 8 insists on traveling with her . Rey goes to Unkar Plutt to again exchange her salvage for foodstuff , and the Crolute offers to buy BB - 8 for sixty food portions ; while tempted , Rey declines the offer . Plutt then sends two thugs to steal BB - 8 . Escape from the " Finalizer " . Needing a pilot to escape , FN - 2187 frees the captured Poe Dameron from his cell , and the two steal a Special Forces TIE fighter . FN - 2187 mans the guns , killing several of his former comrades in the hangar , and then disables the " Finalizer " turbolaser s on the outside of the vessel . During the escape , Dameron asks the stormtrooper his name , to which he explains that he has been raised from birth to be a stormtrooper , and the serial number " FN - 2187 " is the only designation he has ever had . Not content with calling a man a number , Dameron names the trooper " Finn " , from the FN in his name . Finn likes the name , and goes on to use it . Dameron also tells him that the map vital to the Resistance was located within his astromech droid . Before they can continue their conversation and escape , the TIE is hit by a missile fired from the " Finalizer " , sending it spiraling towards the planet below . Phasma reveals to Hux that this was FN - 2187 ' s first offense of non - conformity . A technician then informs Hux that the TIE fighter was projected to crash on Goazon Badlands , a canyon zone on Jakku . Realizing that Poe and Finn were going after BB - 8 , Hux sends out a squadron of search teams to the area . Escape from Jakku . Finn and Dameron eject from the TIE shortly before it crashes , each landing separately some distance from the wreckage . Making his way to the crash , Finn finds Poe ' s jacket , but no other sign of the man , and the fighter sinks into the sand . Believing Dameron to be dead , Finn begins wandering through the desert , discarding his stormtrooper armor along the way and eventually arriving at the nearest settlement , thirsting for water . While Finn staggers to an animal trough to desperately slake his thirst , he notices thugs attempting to steal a BB unit droid , which Finn recognizes as BB - 8 , from a woman , Rey , but she fends them off with her staff . BB - 8 notices Finn , wearing his master Dameron ' s jacket , prompting Rey to chase after him . Rey attacks Finn , believing him to be a thief . Finn explains that he had met and helped Poe escape the " Finalizer " , but that Dameron had apparently perished during their crash . The First Order tracks Finn to the settlement , and launches an airstrike in attempt to search for BB - 8 and the map . Rey , Finn , and BB - 8 attempt to flee towards a Quadjumper but TIEs destroy it . With only one option left , the trio manages to escape in the " Millennium Falcon " . Rey flies it through the Graveyard of Giants , while Finn fires on and destroys the pursuing TIE fighters . With the TIE fighters destroyed , they escape into space . Back aboard the " Finalizer " , Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka informs Kylo Ren that the droid escaped on a stolen freighter and that it was aided by the deserter FN - 2187 . Ren activates his lightsaber and lashes out in a rage - fueled tantrum , slashing at an instrument panel uncontrollably . Mitaka tells Ren that they also appear to have been helped by a local scavenger girl . Kylo grows even more livid , using the Force to pull the officer by his throat across the room in order to choke him with his bare hands , and asking him what girl it was . Reunited with the " Falcon " . While Finn and Rey celebrate their escape from Jakku , the " Millennium Falcon " breaks down . The ship is in major need of repairs , so Finn , Rey and BB - 8 begin working to fix it . While they are working on repairs , the ship is caught in a tractor beam by a freighter . Although they initially believe themselves to be captured by the First Order , they soon meet their real captors : Han Solo and Chewbacca , the former owners of the ship . Upon boarding their old vessel , Han and Chewie go about inspecting their ship and find the two stowaways , Rey and Finn , who he assumes were the thieves that had stolen the " Falcon " . When Rey and Finn explain that they were going to take a droid named BB - 8 to the Resistance because it has a map that would reveal Luke ' s location , Han and Chewie agree to help them . Skirmish aboard the " Eravana " . Unfortunately , Han ' s freighter , the " Eravana " , is boarded by two notorious criminal factions , the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub , both of whom want their money back from Solo . Not wanting Rey and Finn to be involved , Han hides both of them in the lower corridors of the freighter while he and Chewie go meet with the criminals , with BB - 8 accompanying them . Han tries but fails to convince both parties that he would fix things eventually , with the Guavian Death Gang negotiator , Bala - Tik , recognizing the BB - 8 astromech droid from a First Order bounty placed on it . They demand that Han hand over the droid and any stowaways he might have on board . As the scuffle continues , Rey accidentally releases three rathtar s . The rathtars provide a distraction for Han and Chewie to escape , but one catches Finn and drags him around the freighter . Rey finds a control panel and shuts a blast door on the rathtar , freeing Finn . The two join Han and Chewie and successfully jump to hyperspace in the " Falcon " . Bala - Tik then orders his men to inform the First Order that Han Solo and the BB unit are aboard the ship . Meeting with the Supreme Leader . At Starkiller Base , a planet converted into a superweapon , powered by draining the energy of a star , and capable of destroying star systems , Kylo Ren and General Hux are summoned by Supreme Leader Snoke , who appears as a large remote hologram projection . Hux suggests using Starkiller Base to destroy the government of the New Republic and the Resistance , and Snoke grants him the permission to do so . Snoke reveals to Ren that the astromech droid containing the map now resides in the " Millennium Falcon " - along with his father , Han Solo . Ren insists that his father means nothing to him , and with Snoke ' s training , he would not be seduced to the light side of the Force . Journey to Takodana . During the travel in hyperspace , the " Falcon " experiences a problem with its hyperdrive , but Rey demonstrates her knowledge of ships by bypassing the compressor and fixing the issue . Meanwhile , Finn attempts to bandage Chewie ' s arm , which was wounded while fighting on the " Eravana " . After fixing the ship , Han questions Finn and Rey , wondering why they are fugitives . Rey explains that the First Order is after the map located within BB - 8 and that Finn is with the Resistance . After BB - 8 displays a projection of the map , Han explains that after Luke disappeared , there were many parties that went searching for him . Luke had tried to rebuild the Jedi Order , but an apprentice of his turned to the dark side , destroying all that Luke had built and killing the other padawan s that Luke had trained . Feeling responsible and blaming himself for the failure , Luke went into exile . Han also explains that he heard rumors that Luke went searching for the first Jedi Temple . Solo explains that he was able to find the " Millennium Falcon " soon after it entered space because he and Chewbacca were scanning for its signature . This was also why the criminal gangs were able to track it down so quickly , and meant the First Order could track it as well . In order to bring BB - 8 to the Resistance , they needed to switch to a clean ship , which Han says he can obtain from an old friend . Solo takes Rey , Finn , and BB - 8 to the planet Takodana to meet with Maz Kanata at her castle . Han says that she has maintained her castle for over a thousand years , where she runs a bustling cantina . Unbeknownst to all , spies from different sides take notice of the group . GA - 97 alerts the Resistance that the BB unit has been located , while Bazine Netal informs the First Order of the same . The conflict within . Attempting to seek guidance from his grandfather , Darth Vader , Kylo Ren sits quietly in his meditation chamber . In front of him is the burned helmet of Vader , recovered from the funeral pyre on Endor . With the re - emergence of his father and Snoke ' s orders to kill him , Kylo feels an internal struggle within himself . He reveals to Vader ' s burned helmet that the light is pulling him in again and that even Snoke could sense it . He then asks his grandfather to show him the power of the darkness again , to pull him back to the dark side of the Force and help him overcome his future trials . A call from the Force . While Han and Chewie speak with Maz , Finn heads out to make a deal of his own . Finn hires Sidon Ithano and his first mate Quiggold to take him away to the Outer Rim for work . Rey implores Finn not to leave , but to help her find the Resistance instead . Finn , however , insists on leaving , believing there is no way to defeat the First Order . He also admits that he lied about being in the Resistance and was really a stormtrooper in the First Order , deserting after his first battle because he didn ' t want to kill for the First Order . After Finn leaves , Rey hears the screaming of a young girl and finds herself wandering deeper into the castle to find the source . She descends to a sub - chamber that is filled with relics of the past . There she is called by the Force to Maz ' s curio box , an ancient " Wroshyr " wood chest . Inside , she finds the lightsaber that had previously belonged to Anakin Skywalker and his son Luke . Upon touching the lightsaber , she receives a series of visions . Suddenly , she finds herself in Cloud City where Luke battled Darth Vader . As quick as she saw that vision , it goes away , and she now sees Luke placing his metallic hand on top of R2 - D2 near a fire , at a site presumed to be Luke ' s burning Jedi Temple . Next , she finds herself lying in the rain at night to see the Knights of Ren surrounded by slaughtered victims , fearing for her life as Ren notices her . Before he reaches her , she sees herself as a child on Jakku watching the departure of her parents , yelling out to them to come back , and being told to quiet herself from Unkar Plutt . Looking to the future , Rey then finds herself being chased by Kylo Ren in a snowy forest . Rey pulls herself out of the vision in terror . After the vision , she finds Kanata standing outside the room . Kanata explains to her the lightsaber ' s history and that it was calling to her . Kanata then reveals that she herself is Force - sensitive ; although she was never a Jedi , she can simply close her eyes and feel the light of the Force within herself , and recognizes that Rey can do this too . Frightened by her vision , Rey refuses to keep the lightsaber , running off into the woods with BB - 8 . Hosnian Cataclysm . After gaining Supreme Leader Snoke ' s permission to fire the Starkiller Base ' s superweapon , Hux chooses the Hosnian system , which hosts the capital of the New Republic , Hosnian Prime , as well as the New Republic Defense Fleet , in order to demonstrate the power of the First Order in an attempt to wipe out the " illegitimate " government of the New Republic in one fell swoop . The test is a success and Hosnian Prime , the current elected home of the Galactic Senate , all other astronomical bodies in the system , and an unknown percentage of the New Republic fleet are annihilated by the First Order ' s superweapon . The destruction of the Hosnian system is visible from the surface of Takodana . Shaken by the destruction , Finn re - evaluates his choice to leave . Battle of Takodana . The First Order , tipped off to BB - 8 ' s presence , arrives and attacks Maz Kanata ' s castle . Flying in with TIE fighters and Atmospheric Assault Landers , the First Order swiftly assaults the castle and levels it , killing many of its inhabitants . Maz gives Luke ' s old lightsaber to Finn for safekeeping , telling Han she doesn ' t have time to tell him how she retrieved it . BB - 8 follows Rey into the forests surrounding the castle , and the First Order is unable to locate the droid until a stormtrooper officer reports to Kylo Ren that the astromech had been sighted in the company of a girl . During the fighting at the castle , Finn wields the lightsaber to kill one stormtrooper before he is overpowered by FN - 2199 , a former squadmate of Finn ' s . His life is narrowly saved by Han , who uses Chewbacca ' s bowcaster to blast FN - 2199 at the last second . Han and Chewbacca also kill multiple stormtroopers , but are captured along with Finn by the First Order . However , Resistance T - 70 X - wing fighters led by Poe Dameron , who is now revealed to still be alive , arrive to fight the First Order . A fierce dogfight ensues and results in the destruction of many First Order TIEs and the deaths of many stormtroopers from X - wing strafing runs . Rey encounters Kylo Ren at the woods , and fires at him with her blaster pistol , but Kylo restrains her using the Force . Probing her mind , he discovers that she has seen the map he ' s been looking for all this time , and orders the First Order to pull out , saying they had what they came for and no longer need BB - 8 . As the battle rages on above the castle , the remaining First Order troops board their ships and retreat , and Han witnesses his son carrying an unconscious Rey away . The Resistance is victorious , freeing Finn , Han , and Chewbacca . Han and Leia are reunited , and Han reveals to Leia that he saw their son . Reunited at the Resistance Base . Han , Chewbacca , and Finn are brought to the Resistance base on D ' Qar . BB - 8 encounters the astromech droid R2 - D2 , who , as C - 3PO explains , has been dormant since Luke ' s disappearance . With the recovered map from BB - 8 displayed on hologram , 3PO reveals that it is only partially complete , and that the map matches no charted system on record . It is revealed that Han and Leia are aware that their son is Kylo Ren , and that their son ' s fall to the Dark Side , despite Luke ' s efforts to guide him , caused them to separate , with Han returning to his smuggling business and Leia spearheading the activities of the Resistance . Upon finding the location of the Resistance base , Starkiller Base begins draining the power of the sun to destroy D ' Qar . Meanwhile , the Resistance plans an attack of their own . Finn gives them the Base ' s blueprints , which reveal that the base drains the energy of a star in order to charge its superweapon , and that it requires a thermal oscillator , which sustains the energy on the planet , in order to function . If the thermal oscillator was destroyed , it would de - stabilize the planet ' s core and implode the Base . However , they would need to do it before the Base fully charges its weapon and destroys D ' Qar . Finn , Han , and Chewie volunteer to disable the Base ' s defensive shield from the inside . Before departing to the Starkiller Base , Han and Leia embrace , and Leia pleads Han to bring their son home . Rey ' s capture . Rey is brought to Starkiller Base and interrogated by Kylo Ren , who wants information on the map to Luke Skywalker . Ren takes off his helmet and shows her his face . Initially , Ren is able to see into Rey ' s mind , mentioning an island surrounded by water . However , the darksider has a difficult time probing her mind , and Rey is even able to push back into Ren ' s mind . After a mental struggle , Rey announces that she can sense fear in him - fear that he will never be as powerful as Darth Vader . Humiliated , Kylo storms out of the room to seek audience with Snoke . Left alone and aware of what just happened , Rey realizes it is as Kanata told her : she truly is Force - sensitive . She attempts to use a Jedi mind trick on her stormtrooper guard , to make him release her and leave the door open . It doesn ' t work , but Rey tries again : this time he walks over and tells her he will tighten her restraints instead of undoing them . Concentrating , Rey tries one last time , and the stormtrooper listens to her demands . She quickly also remembers to have him drop his blaster as he leaves so she can arm herself . Rey then makes her way through the Starkiller Base , honing her Force abilities while using stealth . She also draws on her experience climbing through wrecked Imperial starships to make her way through the bowels of the installation ' s machinery . Meanwhile , Kylo reveals to Snoke that Rey is strong with the Force but untrained , and Snoke commands Kylo to bring Rey to him . When Kylo discovers that Rey escaped , he throws another fit of rage , slashing at her empty restraint chair . Battle of Starkiller Base . Han Solo pilots the " Millennium Falcon " to Starkiller Base accompanied by Chewbacca and Finn . Finn ' s main objective is to rescue Rey from captivity . Since the Base ' s shields have a fractional refresh rate , Han pilots through the shields at lightspeed , and the " Falcon " makes a rough landing at the edge of a cliff . Han , Chewbacca , and Finn sneak into the main base and capture Captain Phasma , whom they force to disable the shields before disposing of her in a garbage chute . They reunite with Rey , who had already escaped on her own . With the shields down , Blue Squadron and Red Squadron led by Black Leader Poe Dameron commence their assault . They fire on the base ' s hexagonal oscillator structure , but fail to destroy it as the First Order sends TIE Fighters to stage a counterattack and throw the Resistance into chaos . Seeing this , Han , Chewbacca , Finn , and Rey try to create an opening by planting thermal detonators inside the base . Sensing his father ' s presence , Kylo goes to meet Han . Han then confronts his son , Kylo Ren , calling to him by his birth name , " Ben " . They approach each other on a bridge over a large pit , and Han pleads with his son to reject Snoke and return to the light side of the Force . Ben , removing his mask and seeming regretful and scared , holds out his lightsaber to Solo , asking for his father ' s help . Han replies that he would do anything for him , but when he tries to retract the lightsaber from Ben ' s hand , he resists . Ben then twists the angle of the hilt and ignites the weapon through Han ' s torso . Witnessed by Rey , Finn , and Chewbacca , Han strokes his son ' s face for the last time , before falling to his death . Enraged , Chewbacca , Rey , and Finn start firing at Ren and the stormtroopers . As the firefight rages , back on D ' Qar Leia has to sit down when she feels Han die through the Force , squeezing her eyes shut against the tears . Chewbacca injures Ren with his bowcaster , but Ren chases them out of the base and catches up to Finn and Rey in the forest . Rey accuses Ren of being a monster for murdering his own father . She then proceeds to shoot him with her blaster , but Ren knocks Rey out by Force pushing her into a tree . A desperate and terrified Finn comes to her aid immediately . Ren angrily accuses Finn of being a traitor , and Finn pulls out Luke ' s old lightsaber and attacks him in a rage . Ren is already badly injured , bleeding out of his abdomen from the bowcaster wound , but even so is too much for Finn . Finn manages to deal him a glancing wound , but nonetheless Ren quickly overpowers the former stormtrooper and deals him a grievous injury to his back . Ren tries to use telekinesis to pick up the lightsaber his grandfather built , but it resists his pull and instead flies to Rey , who has awakened from her stupor . During this time , Chewie detonates the thermal detonators in the base , allowing Poe to lead a squadron of X - wings into the trenches of Starkiller Base . Poe finds an opening in the thermal oscillator and enters , while a following TIE crashes , unable to execute the same flight maneuver . Inside , Poe fires volley after volley of torpedoes into the oscillator , destroying the base ' s thermal oscillator thirty seconds before it finishes draining the sun to completely charge the superweapon . This causes a chain reaction to go off , which destroys the base and levels the entire planet ' s terrain - without the weapon to dissipate it , the stored solar energy begins tearing the planet apart from the inside . Rey and Ren continue fighting : Ren has taken even more wounds , from Chewbacca , Finn , and Rey , but even so initially holds the advantage , drawing on his rage to ignore the pain . Ren becomes so impressed with Rey that he tries to tempt her , complimenting her strength with the Force and offering to complete her training if she joins him . This backfires , however , as it only serves to reassure Rey of her own power , she begins to draw on the Force to hone her attacks , and the tide of the duel shifts . Ultimately , Rey is able to overpower Ren and deal him a severe wound to his face while severing his lightsaber in two . By this point , Kylo has taken too many wounds to continue standing , but he still struggles in vain to rise again . Before Rey can move in to finish him off , a large trench forms between them as the base begins to fall apart . Rey returns to Finn , despairing that Finn is not waking up and that they are trapped on the rupturing planet . However , Chewbacca arrives with the " Millennium Falcon " to rescue them . Inside the main base , chaos reigns as General Hux has already fled , and the other officers rush to abandon the installation as well . Hux , meanwhile , reports to Snoke , who orders him to rescue Ren and flee the base , so Ren can finish his training . The " Millennium Falcon " and the remainder of the Resistance fleet manage to escape Starkiller Base as it erupts into a ball of fire . They then enter hyperspace to return to D ' Qar . Locating Luke Skywalker . The Resistance celebrates their victory while Leia , Chewbacca , and Rey mourn Han ' s death . R2 - D2 suddenly awakens and reveals that he holds the map to Luke ' s location , with the only piece of the map missing being the one BB - 8 was given by Poe . Together they complete the map and reveal the location of Ahch - To , the planet on which Luke Skywalker sought out the first Jedi Temple . As the unconscious Finn recovers in the medical unit , Rey kisses him on the head and thanks him for everything . With R2 - D2 and Chewbacca in tow , Rey leaves on the " Millennium Falcon " and follows the map to the distant planet , a water world dotted with islands , which she had previously seen in her visions . Rey pilots the starship to a particular island with a large , ancient stone village on it . She climbs the rock - carved steps to the top of the island , where she finds Luke Skywalker . Without exchanging any words , Rey presents him with his father ' s lightsaber . Development . On October 30 , 2012 , The Walt Disney Company announced that it had purchased Lucasfilm Ltd . , the production company behind the creation of the " Star Wars " franchise , from its owner , " Star Wars " creator George Lucas , for $ 4 . 05 billion . The acquisition came in the wake of Lucas ' s announced retirement on May 31 , and the subsequent June 1 announcement that veteran film producer Kathleen Kennedy was succeeding Lucas as Lucasfilm ' s Co - Chair . As part of the merger , Disney revealed that it planned to produce a sequel trilogy of films beginning in 2015 , with Kennedy serving as executive producer . " Star Wars " : Episode VII had already been in development for several months as of the Disney – Lucasfilm merger , and Lucas had written the story treatments for each of the three upcoming films . Kennedy said shortly after the announcement that the development team was in the process of sitting down with writers to discuss story ideas . Lucasfilm confirmed on November 9 that pre - production had begun on " Star Wars " : Episode VII , and that screenwriter Michael Arndt would write the script for the film . News outlets first reported Arndt ' s involvement on November 8 , announcing that Arndt had already turned in a forty - to fifty - page story treatment that reportedly brought the Skywalker family saga to a close in a new trilogy . On January 25 , 2013 , StarWars . com announced that J . J . Abrams , known for his work on the television series and the most recent entries in the , would direct the film , with " Star Wars " creator George Lucas remarking , " I ' ve consistently been impressed with J . J . as a filmmaker and storyteller . He ' s an ideal choice to direct the new " Star Wars " film and the legacy couldn ' t be in better hands . " Lucas was initially involved as creative consultant , though he stepped away due to Disney ' s descision to take the story in a different direction than his original outlines . He later elaborated in an interview with : " The original saga was about the father , the children , and the grandchildren . I don ' t think that ' s a secret to anybody — that ' s in the novels — and the children were in their 20s and everything . But they ' ve taken it in a different direction , and I ' m excited — they didn ' t use my story , so I don ' t know what they ' re doing . " Initial reports explained that Lawrence Kasdan ( who wrote the screenplays for both and ) and Simon Kinberg would co - produce all three films of the trilogy , and share writing responsibilities for Episodes VIII and IX . Kinberg described his role in the process : " I ' m like a friend of the court . I consult on the movies . I worked on VII : helped break the story , read scripts , drafts at certain points , and gave my thoughts whatever they were worth . " On October 24 , 2013 , it was announced that Abrams and Kasdan were rewriting Arndt ' s script . Episode VIII director Rian Johnson had some input on the script , requesting Abrams change the ending by having R2 - D2 , not BB - 8 come to Ahch - To . Production . " The Force Awakens " began preliminary shooting in April 2014 , with second - unit work taking place in and . On April 25 , Lucasfilm announced their plans for a new continuity that excluded the existing Expanded Universe , and confirmed that Episode VII and its sequels would not adhere to any existing continuity . This was followed on April 29 by the official release of the cast list for the movie . Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , and Anthony Daniels would return to reprise their roles as the main characters of the original trilogy , and they would be joined by a number of new actors in leading roles : John Boyega , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Oscar Isaac , Andy Serkis , Domhnall Gleeson , and Max von Sydow . Hamill remarked on returning to " Star Wars " : " Part of the experience of [ " Star Wars " ] in my life was coming down from that , putting it behind me . We had a beginning , middle , and an end . And I certainly , in a million years , never expected to return . I thought , even if they do more trilogies , my story is over . " Denis Lawson was asked to reprise his role as Wedge Antilles from the original trilogy , but declined , stating that it would have " bored " him . Principal photography began on May 16 , 2014 at the Pinewood Studios . For visual inspiration , Abrams looked at films directed by , and . Daniel Mindel — who had previously worked with Abrams as director of photography — returned to collaborate with the director on the film . Reportedly , one sequence was shot with cameras . Although Peter Mayhew was able to reprise the role as Chewbacca , some scenes had to be shot with a stunt double , due to Mayhew ' s age and physical health . On June 11 , the 71 - year old Harrison Ford broke his left leg when a hydraulic door at Pinewood Studios fell down and hit him , and was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford . His recovery forced him to drop out of filming for eight weeks . Abrams also sustained a minor back injury when he tried to help lift the door off of Ford ' s leg . On June 28 , actor Andy Serkis confirmed that would be involved with performance capture on the film , as well as all future " Star Wars " projects . Serkis also confirmed that the character he plays in the film would utilize performance capture . On July 6 , Lucasfilm confirmed that actors Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen were cast in the film through open casting calls in the United Kingdom . They also revealed that production would take a two - week hiatus in August to accommodate Harrison Ford ' s leg injury . Afterwards shooting would resume , and conclude later in the fall . Abrams , Hamill , and Daisy Ridley spent three days filming at in County Kerry , Ireland . On November 6 , 2014 , the official " Star Wars " Twitter account announced that the film had completed principal photography . The post gave the official title for the film as " Star Wars : The Force Awakens " , and was accompanied by a title card for the new name that , like the original trilogy , excluded the " Episode " subtitle . The film had gone through several titles , including " Shadow of the Empire " , similar to " " . Design . Michael Kaplan , who had designed the costumes for Abrams ' " Star Trek " films , also signed on to costume Episode VII . Kaplan designed new stormtrooper uniforms for the film , as it was determined that the original costumes would not stand up to modern scrutiny . These new uniforms were inspired by products . The production team built a new C - 3PO suit to accommodate Anthony Daniels , while the R2 - D2 model was provided and overseen by members of the R2 - D2 Builders Club . Supervising sound editor Matthew Wood brought in former cast and crew members of " " to record various background dialogue . Ewan McGregor and Frank Oz also recorded new lines for the scene of Rey ' s Force vision . McGregor ' s recording was combined with audio of the late Alec Guinness , and pre - existing Yoda audio was ultimately used in lieu of Oz ' s new recording . Music . During a concert with the Young Musician ' s Foundation Debut Orchestra on February 9 , 2013 composer John Williams stated that he was hoping to get the chance to write the musical score s for the new trilogy . Abrams made further statements on this at a " " conference on April 29 , stating , " Again , for Star Wars , it ' s very early days , but I believe that , going forward , John Williams will be doing that film because he was there long before I was . " On July 27 , 2013 , a video of Williams confirming he would score the new film was screened at " Star Wars " Celebration Europe II . On March 21 , 2015 , Lucasfilm revealed that John Williams would conduct the score for " The Force Awakens " in Los Angeles . Williams ' s previous " Star Wars " scores were recorded in the United Kingdom with the London Symphony Orchestra . The sessions lasted from summer through fall of 2015 . Release . The first teaser trailer — released early due to both fan demand and Abrams ' request — was announced via the Bad Robot Productions Twitter account , with a note from Abrams saying fans will see a " tiny peek at what we ' re working on . " The 88 - second teaser premiered in 30 theaters across North America and was released online on November 28 , 2014 . The teaser was shown in theaters around the world beginning in December 2014 . Character names were revealed shortly thereafter in online mock collector cards . Earlier that November , J . J . Abrams made a cameo on " " , in which he could be seen directing R2 - D2 on the set of " The Force Awakens " . When a fish from Oliver ' s salmon cannon falls on the script that he ' s holding , Abrams gets frustrated and quits the film . A second teaser was released on April 16 , 2015 . The June 2015 issue of " Variety " featured a cover story on " The Force Awakens " , with interviews with cast and crew and images from an photo shoot . The August 2015 issues of " " and " " also had the film as their cover stories . " The Force Awakens " had a presence at 2015 ' s and events . At the latter , it was revealed that Drew Struzan had returned to create poster art for the film , including a poster exclusive to the event . A third , shorter teaser was released on the " Star Wars " on August 27 . On September 23 , released a 360 - degree panoramic video clip of a speeder driving across Jakku . The official was released on October 18 , 2015 , while the full - length trailer debuted on October 19 with . The cast and crew appeared on various TV programs , including " " , " " , and " " . Abrams , Boyega , and Ridley participated in a " Saturday Night Live " sketch featuring cast members and guest celebrities in a series of fake auditions . Among the subjects parodied were racist reactions to Boyega ' s casting , Lucas ' s comments about not being involved , and Abrams ' s involvement in the rival franchise " Star Trek " . ( More of these later aired on June 1 , 2016 . ) Abrams and the cast appeared on a " Star Wars " – themed episode of " " on November 23 . Harrison Ford spoke about his injury during shooting on " The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon " by destroying a Han Solo action figure . Some members of the cast and crew also participated in an official press conference on December 5 . The film had its premiere on December 14 at . The event was streamed live on StarWars . com . The cast ( including the droids ) participated in an of the music from the series with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on " The Tonight Show " . Ford and Abrams participated on a sketch on " The Late Show with Stephen Colbert " depicting what convinced Ford to return : Colbert allegedly almost convinced Abrams to recast the role of Han with him . Later , when he appeared on " Conan " , he was asked to sign producer Jordan Schlansky ' s LEGO " Millennium Falcon " and " accidentally " dropped it . Abrams made a cameo on a May 2016 episode of " " , in which he appeared in the backseat of a car and directed " Chewbacca Mom " Candace Payne on how to properly use a Chewbacca mask . Charity . On May 21 , 2014 , Disney , Lucasfilm , and Bad Robot announced " Force for Change , " a charity campaign " dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world ' s biggest problems " ; initially , the campaign was focused on contributing to . Each person who donated was entered to win a set visit to and appearance in Episode VII . On August 11 , Denver , Colorado resident D . C . Barns was announced as the contest ' s winner . J . J . Abrams later released a YouTube video in which he announced that the contest had raised $ 4 . 26 million . In August 2014 , several of the film ' s cast and crew participated in the " , " an Internet phenomenon whereby one pours water onto one ' s head as a pledge to donate to the ALS association . On April 21 , 2015 , Abrams appeared on " Jimmy Kimmel Live ! " , where he performed the " Twizzler challenge " with Chewbacca , in honor of Autism Awareness Month . In August 2015 , Lucasfilm and HP began a two - month program called " Art Awakens , " in which people submitted art inspired by " The Force Awakens " , of which a certain number were chosen for an art exhibit , the proceeds of which went to " Force for Change . " On November 5 , 2015 , director J . J . Abrams screened an unfinished version of the film for Daniel Fleetwood , a 32 - year - old " Star Wars " fan with an aggressive form of cancer , who was likely to die before the film ' s release . The campaign for him to see the film was supported by several of the film ' s stars , including John Boyega , Mark Hamill , and Gwendoline Christie . Fleetwood passed away on November 9 or 10 , 2015 . The film was also made available for viewing by astronauts on the . On November 28 , it was revealed that R2 - KT , the droid built in honor of Katie Johnson , would make an appearance in " The Force Awakens " . Albin Johnson , founder of the 501st Legion and father of Katie , had constructed the droid after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer . In addition to R2 - KT ' s appearance , a variation of the 501st ' s logo was featured as a flag outside Maz Kanata ' s castle . Merchandising . Following Disney ' s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 , its " " began developing " Star Wars " – themed expansions to the various Disney theme parks . However , Bob Iger halted work on these expansions until " The Force Awakens " and other future " Star Wars " films had reached a point in their development that elements from those projects could be included . On August 15 , 2015 , it was announced that plans were moving forward for a " Star Wars " - themed section of the Disney parks , which would include content based on " The Force Awakens " . Disney ' s merchandising campaign for the film began on September 4 , 2015 — dubbed " Force Friday . " Lucasfilm has published that connect " Return of the Jedi " and " The Force Awakens " . A was released , as well as a number of other titles directly connected to the film , such as an , a character anthology , and " " . Content from " The Force Awakens " was also featured in the video games " Disney Infinity 3 . 0 " , " Star Wars Battlefront " and " " . The company partnered with eight major brands : Covergirl & Max Factor , Duracell , FCA US , General Mills , HP , Subway , and Verizon . Beginning in August 2015 , stores held a campaign called " Share the Force , " which included TV ads , exclusive in - store merchandise , and an online program in which " Star Wars " fans could submit images and videos that captured their memories of the franchise . Some of Japan ' s airplanes were painted to reflect elements from " The Force Awakens " . The merchandise garnered criticism as it lacked Rey ' s presence : Hasbro announced it would rerelease its " Force Awakens " Monopoly set to include her after it excluded her in favor of Darth Vader , who is not in the movie . Abrams said he was not involved much in the merchandising , and that when " I read that she wasn ' t in the Monopoly game and was quickly making phone calls about this because if it were true — and it is true , and now Hasbro , of course , has said they ' re going to put Rey in — it doesn ' t quite make sense why she wouldn ' t be there . " Home media . " The Force Awakens " was released in a Blu - ray combo pack and on DVD on April 5 , 2016 , with a digital version available four days earlier on April 1 . Special features included deleted scenes , featurettes and a feature - length documentary . Various retailers also included exclusive content and / or packaging , and one deleted scene was exclusive to the digital download . On March 23 , 2016 , the film was leaked online prior to its original Blu - ray release and was downloaded more than two million times in twelve hours . A 3D Collector ' s Edition was also released in late 2016 , containing Blu - ray 3D , Blu - ray , Digital HD and DVD versions of the film . It included all of the bonus features from the original release , as well as an audio commentary by J . J . Abrams , additional deleted scenes , and additional behind - the - scenes conversations with cast and crew . The film made its television debut on the channels , beginning September 10 , 2016 . Reception . Theater tickets became available for pre - order on October 19th , with many online retailers experiencing outages due to heavy demand , including top sites such as . By the time of the film ' s release , over $ 100 million in pre - release tickets were sold , bypassing the previous record , held by " " . Some theater chains limited the types of allowed at screenings of the film . For instance , fans at AMC and Cinemark weren ' t allowed to wear masks or face paint , or carry simulated weapons . Some chains also banned the carrying of lightsaber toys . The film carries a 93 % fresh score at the review - aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes , with 323 reviews and an average score of 8 . 2 / 10 . Manohla Dargis of the " New York Times " stated that " The big news about " Star Wars : The Force Awakens " is — spoiler alert — that it ' s good ! " and that the film " takes off with a battle and closes on a meaningful moment of quiet . " John Wenzel of the " Denver Post " graded the film at 3 1 / 2 stars out of 4 , calling it a " masterful symphony " and praising the film ' s emphasis on " practical effects and honest - to - God sets . " gave the film four stars . On January 6 , 2016 , the film broke the record for the highest box - office gross for a film in the United States , beating the previous record of $ 760 . 5 million held by the 2009 epic science - fiction film " " by James Cameron . The record was reached less than three weeks after release . Adjusted for ticket price inflation , " The Force Awakens " is the most successful sequel of all time , narrowly beating " Star Wars " : Episode V " The Empire Strikes Back " . On February 7 , 2016 , the film was reported to have crossed the threshold of $ 2 billion in ticket sales . " The Force Awakens " was nominated for five Oscars at the 88th Academy Awards ( the largest number of award nominations for a single " Star Wars " film since " A New Hope " ) , held on February 28 , 2016 . The film was nominated in the categories of Best Film Editing for Maryann Brandon and Mary Joe Markey ; Best Original Score for John Williams ; Best Sound Editing for Matthew Wood and David Acord ; Best Sound Mixing for Andy Nelson , Christopher Scarabosio , and Stuart Wilson ; and Best Visual Effects for Roger Guyett , Patrick Tubach , Neal Scanlan , and Chris Corbould . The general public voted " The Force Awakens " Movie of the Year at the ; Daisy Ridley was also voted Best Breakthrough Performance , while Adam Driver won Best Villain . Abrams admitted one problem with the film , namely Rey and Leia hugging at the end , although it is not established that they know each other . Abrams explained Chewbacca was preoccupied with getting Finn medical attention , while Rey and Leia had spoken via transmitter offscreen . He said , " Had Chewbacca not been where he was , you probably wouldn ' t have thought of it . But because he was right there , passed by Leia , it felt almost like a slight , which was definitely not the intention . "