Star Wars: The Force Awakens delivered its last trailer at the Star Wars Celebration Expo this past April, and while bits and pieces of footage have found their way online since, fans have been chomping at the bit to see more of the sci-fi blockbuster. If you feel this way, I have some bad news, as director J.J. Abrams has confirmed our next significant look at the movie won't be arriving until the fall.
Disney's D23 Expo is being held this weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center, and while many fans have been wondering if the event would be used to launch a new Star Wars: Force Awakens trailer, it turns out that won't be happening. Curious about whether or not the upcoming event would provide a special sneak peek of December's biggest movie, Entertainment Weekly got in contact with J.J. Abrams, and the filmmaker shot any and all ideas down. Said Abrams,
It is true, we are showing no footage, behind the scenes or otherwise. In the fall, there will be a trailer.
This news will disappoint movie-goers aching to see any new footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but Abrams goes on to explain why the D23 Expo won't be serving as a venue for new material. According to the director, while they would like to share more of the movie to a large crowd, there is a certain challenge in editing and rushing a special footage presentation for a preexisting event.
Of course, one also can't discount J.J. Abrams' constant desire for secrecy surrounding his movies. Showing new footage to the crowds at D23 means revealing even more of Star Wars: The Force Awakens than what's already been shown, and he may just not be ready to take that step with the film just yet. We'll just have to wait for the marketing push in the fall - which will include everything from trailers to clips to TV spots. In reality, by the time the blockbuster is just about ready to come out we'll probably all be complaining that Disney and Lucasfilm are revealing too much in pre-release. It's sadly just how marketing works in the industry.
This news is a downer for those planning to both attend and follow this weekend's D23 Expo, but the good news is that there's still plenty more amazing stuff that Disney promises to deliver. Friday will see some absolutely huge announcements be made about upcoming animated projects - from both Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar - while Saturday morning is guaranteed to deliver some special surprises from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other major properties. I'll personally be on the ground in Anaheim covering the event, so stay tuned for some major reveals and announcements!
