December 14, 2015 (Los Angeles)
December 18, 2015 (United States)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) is a 2015 American epic space-opera film produced, co-written and directed by J. J. Abrams. It is the first installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following up the story of Return of the Jedi (1983), and the seventh episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". It was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Abrams's production company Bad Robot Productions, and was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film's ensemble cast includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow. Set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens follows Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Han Solo's search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire.
The film was announced after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012, and was the first Star Wars film to not extensively involve franchise creator George Lucas, who only served as a creative consultant in the early stages. The film was produced by Abrams, his longtime collaborator Bryan Burk, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt. John Williams, the composer for the previous six films, returned to compose the film's score. Filming began in April 2014 in Abu Dhabi and Iceland, with principal photography also taking place in Ireland and at Pinewood Studios in England, and wrapped in November 2014.
The Force Awakens was widely anticipated, and Disney backed the film with extensive marketing campaigns. It premiered in Los Angeles on December 14, 2015, before its wide release in the United States on December 18. The film received praise for its screenplay, direction, acting performances (particularly those of Ford, Driver, Ridley, and Boyega), musical score, visual effects, and action sequences, although some critics found it derivative of the original trilogy. The film broke various box office records and became, unadjusted for inflation, the highest-grossing installment in the franchise, the highest-grossing film in North America, the highest-grossing film of 2015, and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time, with a worldwide gross of over $2 billion and a net profit of over $780 million. Among films' box office adjusted for inflation, it is the top-grossing sequel of all time in North America. It received five nominations at the 88th Academy Awards and four nominations at the 69th British Academy Film Awards, where it won the award for Best Special Visual Effects. It was followed by The Last Jedi in December 2017, and was be followed by The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in December 2019.
Storyline
As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
Movie Trailer
Sound Effects Used
- Darth Vader's Breathing Sound (A heavily processed, low volume version is used when we see the burnt mask of Vader, or at least the score mimics it subtly)
- George Lucas Astromech Critical Yell
- H-B SCI FI - ROCKET BY, NOISY
- Hollywoodedge, Machine Gun Silence PE1103601
- Hollywoodedge, Single Bullet Impact PE236401 (3rd impact)
- Hollywoodedge, Synth Gun Shot Ricoch PE206601/Sound Ideas, GUN, LASER - LASER GUN: SINGLE SHOT 01
- Darth Vader's Breathing Sound
- LUXO JR. SQUEAKING
- SKYWALKER, AIRPLANE - STUKA SIREN SCREAM BY, SHORT
- SKYWALKER BIG BELCHING SOUND
- SKYWALKER BIG METAL SQUEAKING 01
- SKYWALKER BODYFALL SOUNDS
- SKYWALKER, BULLET - HOTH BLASTER RICOCHET
- SKYWALKER, CAR - BROKEN TIRE SKID (Used once incorrectly for a TIE Fighter taking off.)
- SKYWALKER CAR CRUSHING SLOWLY WITH METAL SQUEAKING (Heard as a TIE Fighter sinks on Jakku)
- SKYWALKER, CRASH - CRASHY METAL WITH DEBRIS
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - BIG VARIOUS SPARKINGS
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - PULSE SHRIEK 01
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - SINGLE SPARK CHIRP 01
- SKYWALKER ELECTRICITY INCREASING SOUND
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 01
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 02
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 08
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 11
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 13
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - BIG CRUNCH
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - BIG, SHORT, DRY BLAST 03
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION - CONCUSSIVE BLAST
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - CRACKLING EXPLOSION, MEDIUM 01
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - EXPLOSIVE RICOCHET, HIGH RICCO, EXPLOSION ACCENT
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE EXPLOSION, LOUD, HYPER-REALISTIC (a heavily condensed version was used briefly once)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE INFERNO ROARING
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MEDIUM SET-OFF WITH WHISTLE
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - POOF EXPLOSION
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SHARP, MUFFLED BLAST
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SHORT, MASSIVE BLAST
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SMALL EXPLOSION
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - THE EXPLODING POP 01
- SKYWALKER, FIRE - FLAMES QUICK ROAR BY 01
- SKYWALKER, FIRE - FLAMES QUICK ROAR BY 02
- SKYWALKER GLASS, SMASH - LARGE WINDOW CRASH 02
- SKYWALKER GRENADE LAUNCHING SOUND
- SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED CLUSTERING BIG BOULDER CRACKLE SOUND
- SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND
- SKYWALKER, HISS - BREATHING APPARATUS, INHALE AND EXHALE
- SKYWALKER, HUMAN - YELL, LONG, MALE 01
- SKYWALKER, INVENTOR - FLIK'S INVENTION; RUN; STOP
- SKYWALKER LASER BLAST SOUND (Used for some explosion SFX clusters)
- SKYWALKER, LASER - BUZZ LIGHTYEAR'S LASER; LIGHT; BUTTON
- SKYWALKER LIGHTSABER SOUND
- SKYWALKER, METAL - HUMAN BODY IMPACT ON METAL
- SKYWALKER, METAL - PROTOCOL DROID MOVING
- SKYWALKER, METAL - WEIRD CLANK
- SKYWALKER, POP - SMALL SUCTION POPS
- SKYWALKER, ROAR - ANGLER FISH ROAR
- SKYWALKER, ROAR - BARRACUDA GROWL
- SKYWALKER, ROAR - CLOVERFIELD SHRIEK
- SKYWALKER, ROAR - MONGO SCREAM (The first part is used once in a low-pitched variant for the rathtar as it roars.)
- SKYWALKER, ROAR - TOOTHLESS SCREAM
- SKYWALKER ROARING HORSE WHINNY (Heard as a TIE Fighter sinks on Jakku)
- SKYWALKER ROLLING BOULDER SOUND (Used for the rolling rathtar.)
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI - DREAMWORKS LOGO SEQUENCE 02 (high-pitched)
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI - ROBOT PROBE'S EYE SENSOR
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - CHEWIE'S BOWCASTER GUN
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - EVE'S LASER GUN
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - SINGLE SHOT
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - TIE FIGHTER GUN
- SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - X-WING FIGHTER GUN
- SKYWALKER, SPACECRAFT - SPACECRAFT PASS BY 01
- SKYWALKER, SQUISH - B.O.B. SQUISHING
- SKYWALKER, STRETCH - MR. D.N.A. STRETCHING AND SNAP
- SKYWALKER, TOY - LENNY FOOTSTEPS
- SKYWALKER, TOY - WOODY'S PULL-STRING SOUND
- SKYWALKER TV SMASHING SOUND
- SKYWALKER, WHISTLE - CARTOON FALL WHISTLE
- SKYWALKER, WHISTLE - FALL DOWN, HIGH PLACES
- SKYWALKER, WIND SOUNDS
- SKYWALKER WHISTLING RICOCHET, EXPLOSION ACCENT (heard as Chewbacca sets off explosives)
- SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - ARTILLERY FALL 01
- SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - METALLIC PIECES FLY BY
- SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - SYNTHESIZED JET FLY BY
- SoundDogs, Electric - Sparks & Hum - C U - Series Of Amazingly Creaky Sparks And Reverberant Decay
- SoundDogs, Guns Military, Battles - Grenade Launcher Sweetner; Synthy Zap Followed By Wavy Trail - Off. From
- Sound Ideas, AIRPLANE, JET - MILITARY FIGHTER JET: PASS BY 02
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, MONSTER - SEVERAL SCREAMS, CREATURE (Higher pitched; Used once for BB-8 when he rolls.)
- Sound Ideas, GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 05/Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - THIN RICCO 01/Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 02 (in very processed/low pitches for the X-Wing's torpedoes)
- Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - SMACK
- Sound Ideas, MUD, SPLASH - GIANT GLOP & BUBBLE BLAST
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 03 (used in various pitches and sfx clusters)
- Sound Ideas, WIND - FOREST WIND, LEAVES STIR, WEATHER
- Sound Ideas, WIND - WIND MACHINE: CLEAN, ARTIFICIAL BREATHY WHISTLES
- Sound Ideas, WIND - WIND PANS & FADES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, WEATHER (muffled)
- Wilhelm Scream (4th scream used once)
