‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Confirmed for D23 Panel
By Kyle Warnke
Star Wars has already dominated the convention scene twice this year, and it’s set to maintain that presence again at Disney’s upcoming D23 Expo next month.
In addition to showcases of pending games like Disney Infinity 3.0 and Star Wars Battlefront, the Mouse has announced that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be part of a featured panel covering the company’s upcoming slate of films across a swath of franchises.
In “Worlds, Galaxies and Universes: Live Action at the Walt Disney Studios,”studio chairman Alan Horn will give a presentation on the live-action films Disney has in development including The Force Awakens — and perhaps even a few other entries in the Star Wars universe.
According to the official press release:
"“Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet’s best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—and much, much more.”"
The panel will take place in Hall D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, Aug. 15, starting at 10:30 a.m. It’s scheduled to last two hours.
So just what could Disney unveil at this latest exhibition? As far as details on The Force Awakens, it’s possible that they’ll trot out some of the remaining members of the cast who haven’t yet made any public appearances. We still haven’t heard from key players like Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis or Max Von Sydow, likely because their characters’ backstories may figure into big plot twists within the film.
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Still, I would bet on at least one cast member making an appearance, especially since J.J. Abrams said at San Diego Comic-Con that we won’t see another trailer for The Force Awakens until this fall. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they brought out some kind of key costume or prop or photo from the series to whet fans’ appetites.
Meanwhile, could Disney reveal some of its other plans for the Star Wars franchise? It’s certainly not out of the question, especially since we haven’t received too many updates on Rogue One or Episode VIII. We previously assumed that Rogue One would be featured at this panel. Still, I have the feeling that the closer we get to the premiere of The Force Awakens on Dec. 18, Disney will want to focus its efforts on promoting Abrams’ film rather than diverting attention to future installments.
However, this would be the perfect time to finally unveil another Anthology film…
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