“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Premieres In Los Angeles

Daisy Ridley at the World Premiere of Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA, December 9, 2017. Photo © 2017 Joseph Martinez/ Picturelux – All Rights Reserved.

The waiting is over. It’s time for a new Star Wars adventure! The much-anticipated first screening of the franchise’s latest episode was dedicated to the late Carrie Fisher, who died last December aged 60, and was held in LA at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday, (December 9, 2017.)

It was an elaborate affair featuring a massive AT-AT assault vehicle, a procession of Stormtroopers and droids along with a squad of elite guards clad in red armor. Fans cheered, some waving stuffed Porgs, a new character being introduced in the eighth film in the core Star Wars franchise.

Daisy Ridley, who returns to the big screen as Rey, told ABC News what it was like to be back on the carpet for her second “Star Wars” film. “This feels just as overwhelming,” she admitted before joking, “I need to sit down and … be alone for a while.”

Along with Ridley, fellow cast members also walked the red carpet including Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o,Gwendoline Christie, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro among others.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which arrives in Theaters on Dec 15, is one of the year’s biggest releases and includes the return of Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher’s final role. Early box office projections are for the film to debut in the $200 million range for its first weekend.

About the film:

In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman. J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski and Jason McGatlin are the executive producers. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017. For more information on the film, please visit: http://www.starwars.com and the official website for the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Photos © 2017 Joseph Martinez/ Picturelux – All Rights Reserved.