The “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” trailer that debuted during “Monday Night Football” earlier this week accumulated 112 million views online within the first 24 hours it was available, Lucasfilm announced on Friday.
The figure, which counts YouTube, Facebook and all other online platforms, was revealed in a note to fans published on StarWars.com.
“All of us at Lucasfilm are totally overwhelmed by the enthusiasm we’ve seen from fans this week and throughout the lead-up to this film. And we still have 56 days to go until the official December 18 release date,” the blog post read. “Thank you all for making the ‘Star Wars’ universe what it is, and for keeping it alive and growing and meaningful. ‘Star Wars’ is back and beginning an exciting new journey, and it’s because of you.”
The Disney-owned company boasted a total of 128 million views from around the world in a single day after including the 16 million people who were watching the “MNF” halftime show, during which the trailer premiered.
And after theater chains around the world have reported selling out of hundreds of first-weekend screenings of “The Force Awakens,” the company behind the franchise is assuring fans that tickets are still available for its Dec. 18 opening weekend.
“You set numerous records, including the biggest-ever 24 hours for advance sales in numerous countries. In the UK, more than 200,000 tickets were sold in the first day. In Norway, you braved subzero temperatures overnight to make sure you were among the first to see the film,” Lucasfilm wrote. “Fortunately, there are still plenty of tickets to be had for opening weekend and beyond.”
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': 9 Galaxy-Shaking Revelations From New Trailer (Photos)
1. "Who are you?" This is our first glimpse is of Rey (Daisy Ridley) dressed in heavy-duty sand planet gear, fitted with repurposed lenses from a Stormtrooper helmet. The Force is strong with this one!
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2. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is the ultimate fanboy -- he styles his look after the Dark Lord of the Sith and keeps Darth Vader's charred helmet on a plinth. Ren is clearly in hero-worshipping mode.
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3. "I've got nothing to fight for," says Finn (John Boyega), which should put to rest any theories he's not a real Stormtrooper. The trailer paints him as a soldier of the New Order who no longer believes in the cause.
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4. An epic battle over a lush green planet with temple ruins lead some fans to have a new hope for a return to Yavin 4, the location of the first Rebel Base from the original film. (P.S. pay attention to Finn's jacket; it's important later.)
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5. We finally see our first glimpse of Leia Organa Solo (Carrie Fisher), being consoled by her husband, Han (Harrison Ford). Is Luke's mysterious absence from the film's promotional materials the reason she's sad?
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6. The closest lead we have on the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is this shot of a robotic hand resting on R2-D2. Other than that, your guess is as good as ours.
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7. Many believe that the mysterious voice bookending the trailer ("Just let it in") belongs to Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o), who was possibly featured on the film's poster.
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8. Originally a skeptic in "hokey religions and ancient weapons," Han Solo (Harrison Ford) seems to be teaching Rey and Finn about how all the stories about Jedi and The Dark Side are true. (Remember, the jacket is important.)
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9. Is Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron under mind control? Bear with us as we piece together the evidence for our first crazy theory.
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An earlier teaser showed Resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) sporting a familiar worn jacket.
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Comic-Con footage let us view a shot of a captured Poe being led by a Stormtrooper to an uncertain fate. Could that possibly be Finn holding Poe at blaster point?
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In the new trailer, Ren subjects Poe to a new kind of Force torture (not a Force choke as some fans think, as that particular move makes it impossible to do anything other than gag).
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Finn later crashes down on a desert planet, now in possession of Poe's jacket which he seems to wear through the rest of the film.
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When Poe encounters Finn again, he doesn't seem to recognize his jacket. In fact, the look on his face seems menacing. Finn, meanwhile, seems to know something's up. Is the Force telling him something?
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From a first glimpse at Princess Leia to speculation about Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron, TheWrap details the biggest takeaways from new teaser for J.J. Abrams’ eagerly awaited movie
1. "Who are you?" This is our first glimpse is of Rey (Daisy Ridley) dressed in heavy-duty sand planet gear, fitted with repurposed lenses from a Stormtrooper helmet. The Force is strong with this one!