AFP | Los Angeles: Fans cheered the highly anticipated Hollywood premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with standing ovations, applause and screams of delight as the space epic resumes under tight security. The police cordoned off the area around the famed Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulev-ard hosting the premiere along with other nearby theaters hosting some 5,000 guests, setting up metal detectors and deploying scores of officers and sniffer dogs. As the stars of the latest inst-allment of the epic walked the red carpet, fans — some who had camped out for days in their Star Wars costumes — went into a frenzy seeking autographs and pictures of the beloved movie characters. “This is like the Academy Awa-rds or something,” Ha-rrison Ford, who plays Han Solo, said. Jeff Bock, an analyst at box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, said “this is probably the biggest opening in decades.” Disney CEO Bob Iger hailed what “could be the biggest premiere we have ever done.” Ever since 1977, when Star Wars introduced the world to the Force, Jedi knights, Darth Vader, Wookiees and clever droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, the sci-fi saga has built a devoted global fan base that spans generations. “I’ve been here since 3:00 am because I wanted to get a good spot,” said James Salazar (19) outside the Chinese Theatre. “I’ve been a fan all my life, it’s my favourite movie and my dad’s also.” The premiere on Monday will be followed by a global rollout taking in a dozen countries beginning on Wednesday before the film officially reaches US theaters on Friday. The intergalactic tale of good versus evil, friendship, loyalty and love created a defining moment in the history of popular culture and launched one of the biggest movie franchises ever. The original blockbu-ster turned Ford, Carr-ie Fisher and Mark Hamill — who play its heroes Han Solo, Prin-cess Leia and Luke Skywalker — into sta-rs overnight. Much to the delight of legions of fans, the beloved veterans return in the new installment — which picks up 30 years after the events of 1983’s Return of the Jedi.” The Force Awakens also brings a host of fresh faces like British actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Source: The Asian Age
