‘Star Wars’ Celebration 2015: ‘The Force Awakens’ Panel In Photos

Now that the excitement of the Star Wars Celebration 2015 is behind us, we can take a look at the highlights from The Force Awakens panel last Wednesday.

To say that fans were excited about the opening event of the gathering in Anaheim would be a gross understatement. Millions of Star Wars fans gathered around their computers and phones to catch what director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President and producer, Kathleen Kennedy had to share during the live stream.

Mostly, the first full trailer, which had been much debated and discussed on the many websites that follow all things Star Wars. In 2015, the Star Wars celebration was held in Anaheim and the atmosphere was electric.

This was the first time a new Star Wars film would premiere a trailer in decades, and fans were in a frenzy. Not only fans were excited though, the media present in the convention center were just as excited and formed such an impressive gathering that even Abrams was moved to take out his cell phone to record the moment.

First, the 2015 Star Wars Celebration welcomed J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy to the stage. The Force Awakens panel was professionally hosted by Anthony Breznican, from Entertainment Weekly, who had good questions and insights.

Despite the impatience on the part of fans, Abrams and Kennedy took some time to talk about how they got involved with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Abrams shared that at first he was opposed because of scheduling conflicts with family time, but in the end he couldn’t say no to Kennedy. The executive also shared her meeting with creator George Lucas, in which he asked her to continue his legacy.

Next we got introduced to the adorable new Droid, BB-8 who we first met in a brief scene from the first Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer in November.

Not surprisingly, our old friend R2 D2, Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) loyal droid also joined his new friend on stage to the roaring applause from the crowd.

Next, it was time to introduce some of the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens cast members. Abrams welcomed to the stage Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), and John Boyega (Finn) to more cheers from those attending.

One of the highlights of the 2015 Star Wars Celebration was the re-introduction of the original cast members. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C3PO), and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca).

Following a Q&A with fan questions, the audience and the millions watching the 2015 Star Wars Celebration from Anaheim, were treated to The Force Awakens trailer. By the reaction on the Internet, the trailer was very well received and most thought that Abrams captured the “old feel” of the original trilogy, while introducing modern aspects to it.

What did you think of the Star Wars Celebration 2015, The Force Awakens panel?

[Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Entertainment]