Growing up, "Star Wars" became my all-time favorite movie. I fell in love with almost every aspect of the continuing stories of our heroes and villains for six films, becoming enveloped in its 30-year-long history. When I saw the final film in theaters in 2005, I had accepted that George Lucas had closed and sewn together all of the chapters in a way where I was at peace that there would be no more to the story. In 2012, when Lucas sold the franchise rights to Disney, I was completely devastated. I felt as if he had sold out to a corporate giant that would for sure ruin the reputation and quality of the stories that Lucas had told so well and that meant so much to so many people like myself. As Disney announced yet another trilogy I dreaded the thought that the amazing memories I had with the films would be tarnished by the excessive "family-like" cheesiness and animation that only that one studio could fulfill.
However, as the next couple of years rolled along and as more information was given to who the director would be, what the main ensemble would look like, and exactly where the story was going, I had regained my dwindling faith in where Lucas left off. First, I was skeptical as to why J.J. Abrams was chosen to be the maestro of this hotly anticipated film, especially since I wasn't entirely convinced with the "Star Trek" series he had done only a few years prior. But, once I saw the Comic-Con footage of how he wanted to bring the old school style of "Star Wars" back, equipped with hand-made and life-like animatronics, my confidence and acceptance for Abrams as a director had been fully achieved in that moment.
The cast also put me at ease. With the main original cast back, I was excited to see where their story line left off, especially since I am an avid reader and follower of the expanded "Star Wars" universe, with many books and story lines following our leads after the last film. This, to me, was something I really want to see as the new film comes out because of the fact that I want to see how each relationship between the cast has changed since the last time we saw them as well as how this new cast will fit into their history.
When the official trailer dropped last Monday, I was completely in awe. Just catching a glimpse into what is in store still brings tears to my eyes every time I think about the films and what new experiences I will be able to have with the continuations of this most beloved classic. As Mark Hamill, the actor who plays Luke Skywalker, said about the upcoming film, "Everything has changed, yet nothing has changed." Hopefully this story will continue to inspire a sense of exploration, wonder, and adventure to this next generation of children who will also grow up loving these amazing stories.
