'THE FORCE AWAKENS' AT 10: DROID LOVE!

It was love at first sight for Daisy Ridley and the charming droid BB-8 during location filming in Abu Dhabi in 2014 for The Force Awakens. And audiences were soon smitten with the pair of them onscreen - the lost droid with secret info vitally needed by the Resistance, and Rey, the lost young girl carving out a meagre existence, dreaming of a life beyond, on the far away junk world of Jakku... 

J.J. Abrams watches the filming of Rey adjusting BB-8's antenna.

CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF 'THE FORCE AWAKENS'!

Art by Tsuneo Sanda.

It debuted to acclaim on its original release back in December 2015, but such positivity to The Force Awakens ten years on seems to have waned somewhat since the arrival of its subsequent sequels. A shame really, as this launch film for Disney/Lucasfilm's new sequel era of the franchise held so much promise and remains a finely crafted movie, with a strong script, fine direction and excellent casting for a new batch of heroes, despite its obvious remake elements linked to the original Star Wars. Like what happened with Daniel Craig's outstanding debut as James Bond 007, 2006's Casino Royale, perhaps the bar was just too high for subsequent films to match it in terms of quality storytelling and character development... 

But let's go back in time to that hopeful promised future of December 2015, and celebrate the then joyous return to a galaxy far, far away...

Happy Tenth Anniversary!

EPISODE IX: A FAMILY PURSUED...

Dathan and Miramir - fugitives from the Emperor!

Seemingly abandoned by uncaring parents whom Kylo Ren would later describe to her as filthy junk traders who literally sold her off for drinking money, Rey ultimately discovers the truth about her parentage, and the real reason for her being left behind on the desert world of Jakku, by the time of The Rise of Skywalker. In actuality, her parents were to prove unique in the sequel saga backstory, her father Dathan (Billy Howe) being the fugitive son of Emperor Palpatine himself, whilst her mother Miramir (played by Killing Eve's soon British superstar Jodie Comer) proved herself brave and courageous to the end in protecting her daughter-in-hiding, successfully fooling the Sith Assassin who would ultimately slay Rey's parents...

Miramir (Jodie Comer) cradles her daughter one last time.

EPISODE VII: MAKING THINGS RIGHT AGAIN...

Desperate times require help from the past, as top Resistance pilot Poe Dameron makes an urgent trip for General Leia Organa to the far off realm of Jakku and a secret meeting with the enigmatic Lor San Tekka, who holds the potential key as to the location of the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, during the beginning to The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: THE JUNK COLLECTOR!

Ever-adaptable to the harsh life and times of living on the remote desert world of Jakku, the solitary but resilient Rey collects her latest stash acquired from the wreck of fallen Imperial Star Destroyers, within a terrific opening introduction to Daisy Ridley's character from The Force Awakens.

Speeding back to Niima Outpost.

EPISODE VII: ATTACK OF THE FIRST ORDER!

Out from the shadows of their secret bases, the First Order Stormtroopers en masse attack the peaceful resistance camp on Jakku, in search of the ultimate clue to discovering the location of their sworn enemy: Luke Skywalker!

A great behind the scenes image from The Force Awakens, and a desert sequence shot at nighttime on the backlot of Pinewood Studios.

EPISODE VII: DESERT RETURN!

Crash-landed on Jakku and out of his element now that he has defected from the First Order, Finn searches for his new friend Poe Dameron. But did the top Resistance pilot survive the desert impact? A memorable sequence from The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: ARRIVAL OF A MURDERER!

Amidst the chaos and carnage of the First Order's sneak attack on a small Jakku village secretly housing former Rebel operative Lor San Tekka, the evil Kylo Ren arrives via his sleek and ominous shuttle, intent on fulfilling his mission during The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: A SCAVENGER'S LIFE...

Outside her unusual place called 'home', deep within the deserts of Jakku, Rey, the young and lonely, yet capably self-sufficient new heroine of the sequel saga, enjoys her just-about-sustaining supper whilst also hoping for a brighter future, in a memorable character-setting scene from The Force Awakens...  

EPISODE VII: DRINKING BUDDIES!

The company might not be so hot, but an exhausted Finn's desperate need to quench his thirst far outweighs such worries, in this quirky scene set at the Niima Outpost of Jakku, from The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: CREATING REY!

Plagued with nerves at the start of her first scenes filming at Abu Dhabi, young star-to-be Daisy Ridley nonetheless went on to give a superb performance as the loner Rey on the desert world of Jakku, her character and acting skills blossoming under the strong directing talents and instincts of a nurturing J.J. Abrams, in this fine behind the scenes moment from The Force Awakens.

Daisy Ridley's first filmed scene as Rey for The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: TIE PURSUIT!

The chase by the First Order to stop the Millennium Falcon continues, as their TIE fighters enter an area of space vessel wasteland on Jakku both hazardous yet worthy of any top pilots' skills to navigate, in this scene from The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: REY OF THE REBELLION!

Both living and surviving in such a harsh realm that is the desert world of Jakku, Rey staves off another day of potential boredom in between salvage work with as much creative diversion possible, this time briefly imagining herself as a Rebellion fighter pilot with her discovered helmet, in this lovely moment from EPISODE VII.

EPISODE VII: CAPTAIN PSYCHO!

With her true spirit of evil and formidable physical ability, the First Order couldn't have a more fitting 'poster girl' than in the malevolent Captain Phasma, as personified in The Force Awakens especially by British actress/model and Game of Thrones icon forever: Gwendoline Christie. I'm not sure if the above head shot composition is an actual official release or fan made, but it is excellent nonetheless.

Me and my Stormtrooper. Gwendoline Christie loves her job!

EPISODE VII: SNEAK ATTACK!

Gutsy as ever within the hostile realms of Jakku's Niima Outpost, Rey fends off an attack from Unkar Plutt's goons, who are determined to take BB-8 from her, in this great action shot taken on location in Dubai for The Force Awakens.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SWARM OF DARKNESS!

Above the wilderness world of Jakku, a group of sleek and more fiercer looking than ever TIE Fighters emerge from their First Order mothership to attack, in this great publicity composition linked to The Force Awakens!

EPISODE VII: A DAY IN THE LIFE...

Jakku may be a sand covered ball but there's plenty to uniquely plunder from across the wrecked battlefield of Rebel and Imperial ships littering its wastelands, as young Rey begins another day of salvage for food searching, in this scene from The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: A TIME TO KILL!

There's only one thing on the fearsome Kylo Ren's mind right now as he moves through the destroyed Jakku village and his troopers massacre its inhabitants- to find the map that will lead to the discovery and eradication of former teacher Luke Skywalker, in this great behind the scenes image from The Force Awakens.

EPISODE VII: EVENING THE ODDS!

Determined to help Lor San Tekka and his band of followers on Jakku against the newly arrived and attacking First Order forces, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron retrieves a blaster from his X-wing fighter, so as to join the struggle. A brave move, as seen in the opening to The Force Awakens.

A clever fan reconstruction of the original Jakku scrapyard planned opening to The Force Awakens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cc5nvsZ_c&feature=youtu.be

Oscar Isaac will soon be voicing Poe Dameron for the all-new DISNEY animated series: STAR WARS Resistance:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-star-wars-resistance-disney-20180426-story.html

UPDATED:
http://www.jedinews.co.uk/featured/articles/star-wars-resistance-first-episode-synopsis-german-air-date-revealed/

EPISODE VII: REY TO THE RESCUE!

Recently arrived at the dusty and grimy Niima Outpost on Jakku, Rey confers with her new friend in droid BB-8, having rescued him from kidnappers, during a sequence filmed on location in Abu Dhabi for The Force Awakens.