Everything To Know About 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

As most diehard fans of this franchise already know, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens is slated to hit theaters this Dec. 18 — but Thursday, thousands of fans gathered at the Anaheim convention center in California for a fan event like none other: Star Wars Celebration. For those of you who don't know, it's kind of a big deal. A whole slew of Star Wars: Episode VII secrets and spoilers were revealed when the location played host to a panel for the highly anticipated sequel. Aside from a new — though brief — Star Wars: Episode VII teaser trailer and few character names, we haven't heard much of anything from Episode VII, so, naturally, people were geeking out majorly.

On hand to reveal new looks at the film and hash out details were Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy, Episode VII director J.J. Abrams, and classic cast members Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Unfortunately, Harrison Ford (Han Solo) wasn't able to attend due to injuries he sustained after crash-landing his plane last month, but Abrams joked that he was sending text messages. However, new cast members Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega came out to the delight of the fans in attendance.

So, without further ado — what Star Wars: Episode VII secrets did the panel reveal?

Say Goodbye to Tatooine

Tatooine was the desert planet where we first met Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars films. Many fans watching the first teaser trailer for Episode VII assumed the pictured landscape was of this, but Kennedy and Abrams have confirmed that it is not. Say hello to Jakku! It's a new desert planet introduced to the Star Wars universe, and it's where we will meet Daisy Ridley's character. Speaking of which...

Meet The Three New Characters

Where the original trilogy centered around Luke, Leia, and Han, the new trilogy, beginning with Episode VII, will prominently feature Poe Dameron (Isaac), Rey (Ridley) and Finn (Boyega). Here's a quick breakdown.

Rey is a scavenger living on Jakku. She's used to living on her own and taking care of herself, but that all changes when she encounters Finn.

"Finn is in incredible danger," said Boyega during the panel, "and the way he decides to react to this danger changes his life and launches him into the Star Wars universe in a very unique way."

According to Isaac, Dameron is "the biggest friggin' pilot in the galaxy. He’s been sent on a mission by a certain princess [we're assuming Princess Leia] and he ends up coming across Mr. John Boyega’s character and their fates are forever intertwined."

The New Stormtroopers Look Swanky

Before Star War Celebration welcomed the original cast members onto the stage, the panel gave us an up-close look at the new Stormtroopers and their new and improved armor. There are a lot of upgrades to gawk at in this one, mainly the new helmet and more modern shape of the armor. Giving something futuristic a more modern look is no easy task, and you can see in the shoulders and the joints how some sort of black padding was added, presumably in order to allow easier maneuverability.

Another interesting tidbit: it looks like Boyega's Finn character is, in fact, one of these men in uniform. When we saw him in the first Episode VII teaser trailer, some speculated that he was masquerading as a Stormtrooper to gain intel or something equally intrepid. But the way Boyega was speaking of his character, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Princess Leia Won't Be Wearing Her Famous Buns

Now here's some sad news to report: when asked whether Princess Leia would bring back her signature curls to the Star Wars universe, Carrie Fisher said no. But before you get completely depressed that the hair style from a galaxy far, far away isn't in vogue anymore, the actress said that they did something different that she thinks we'll all like.

What do you think? Are you excited about Episode VII now?

Images: Lucasfilm; YouTube