 | |
| Author | Alan Dean Foster |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Marc Thompson |
| Language | English |
| Series | Star Wars |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
Publication date | |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | Hardcover: 268 |
| ISBN | 978-1-101-96549-8 |
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the novelization of the 2015 film of the same name. The author, Alan Dean Foster, also wrote Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker , the 1976 novelization of the first Star Wars film.
Asked to write the novelization by Shelly Shapiro of Del Rey Books, Foster was given access to the screenplay of the film, along with stills from the film of characters and sets. [1]
Foster wanted to develop a romance between Rey and Finn, which he thought was implied in the film. He later stated, "I expected to see that developed further in Episode VIII ." [2] He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the latter film, saying that it prompted him to write a treatment for Episode IX , "attempting in that storyline to explain a lot of the really silly things that happened in Episode VIII." However, he admitted that he "never expected Disney to do anything with [it]." [3] [lower-alpha 1]
The novelization includes additional scenes and dialogue. [5] [6] These include:
To avoid spoilers caused by the book being released before the movie, the hardcover release was delayed until January 5, 2016. The e-book was released on December 18, 2015. [7] The book was a #1 New York Times best seller. [8]
Den of Geek said: "Stripped of its visuals and the charisma of its actors, The Force Awakens is a drier script than it was a film." [9] Kirkus Reviews wrote: "Foster keeps the prose steady if a bit workmanlike throughout, but there are a few nose dives into questionably florid prose [...] Ultimately, it’s the original story and characters from the film that make the book worth reading rather than Foster’s contributions. [10]
Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced in the original Star Wars film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate, and an agent of the Rebel Alliance. She thwarts the Sith Lord Darth Vader and helps bring about the destruction of the Empire's superweapon, the Death Star. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Leia commands a Rebel base and evades Vader as she falls in love with the smuggler Han Solo. In Return of the Jedi (1983), she helps to rescue Han from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, and is revealed to be Vader's daughter and the twin sister of Luke Skywalker. Leia is portrayed by Carrie Fisher in the original film trilogy and the sequel trilogy.
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a moisture farmer on the planet Tatooine, Luke joins the Rebel Alliance and becomes a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire. He trains as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, and eventually confronts his father, the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Years later, Luke trains his nephew Ben Solo and mentors the scavenger Rey. Luke is the twin brother of Leia Organa.
The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the Star Wars franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the main antagonist in the sequel film trilogy, while they and Luke serve as supporting characters. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main Star Wars franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The trilogy consists of episodes VII through IX, chronologically following the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, serving as the final act of the "Skywalker Saga". Lucas had planned a sequel trilogy as early as 1976, but canceled it by 1981. He produced only the first six episodes, and for a time described these as comprising the complete story. The sequel trilogy concept was revived when the Walt Disney Company entered negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm in 2011. Lucas produced new story treatments, but these were largely discarded. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a 2017 American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015), and the eighth episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". The film's ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro. The Last Jedi follows Rey as she seeks the aid of Luke Skywalker in hopes of turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order while General Leia Organa, Finn, and Poe Dameron attempt to escape a First Order attack on the dwindling Resistance fleet. The film features the first posthumous film performance by Fisher, who died in December 2016, and the film is dedicated to her memory.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams's production company Bad Robot, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and the final episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". Its ensemble cast includes Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams. Set after The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker follows Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they lead the remnants of the Resistance in a final stand against Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and the First Order, who are allied by the resurrected Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine.
Kylo Ren is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in The Force Awakens (2015), the first film of the sequel trilogy. He subsequently appeared in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He also appears in the animated series Star Wars Resistance (2018–2020), and the television specials The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020) and Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales (2021). Ren is portrayed by Adam Driver in all three sequel trilogy films.
Poe Dameron is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the 2015 film The Force Awakens, and is portrayed by Oscar Isaac. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who inadvertently brings the renegade stormtrooper Finn and the Jakku scavenger Rey into battle against the First Order. The character is featured in The Force Awakens media and merchandising as well as an eponymous comic book series. He returns in the film's sequels The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the animated series Star Wars Resistance (2018–2020) and the television specials The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020), Terrifying Tales (2021) and Summer Vacation (2022). Isaac's performance and the character have received positive reviews, with Poe's characterization being compared to that of Han Solo in the original Star Wars film trilogy.
BB-8 is a droid character in the Star Wars franchise. He appeared in the three films of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He also appeared as a major supporting character in the animated series Star Wars Resistance, appearing in the first 17 episodes of season 1, and in the 2023 short film Rogue Not Quite One. He is a BB astromech droid serving the Resistance, and is owned by Poe Dameron. Spherical with a free-moving domed head, BB-8 is portrayed by both a rod puppet and a remote-controlled robotic unit. The character has been well received by critics and fans, and has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters of the Star Wars saga in recent years.
Supreme Leader Snoke is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is an artificial being created by Emperor Palpatine who is aligned with the dark side of the Force. He was introduced in The Force Awakens (2015) as the Supreme Leader of the First Order and the master of Kylo Ren. He subsequently appeared in The Last Jedi (2017), in which he is killed by Ren. In the films, Snoke is a computer-generated character performed by Andy Serkis using motion capture.
Maz Kanata is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, she is a computer-generated character voiced and performed through motion capture by Lupita Nyong'o. Maz, a former pirate and smuggler, is more than 1,000 years old and manages an interstellar tavern in a castle on the fictional planet Takodana. While Maz's small role in the trilogy has been criticized, Nyong'o's performance and the technical aspects of the character have been praised by critics. For her performance in The Force Awakens, Nyong'o was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
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Rey is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was created by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens (2015), the first installment of the sequel film trilogy, and is primarily portrayed by Daisy Ridley. Rey also appears in the film's sequels, The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and related Star Wars media.
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Star Wars: Resistance Reborn is a Star Wars novel by Rebecca Roanhorse, published by Del Rey Books on November 5, 2019. Set between the events of the 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi and the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the story follows the exploits of General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron, Rey, and Finn as they try to rebuild the Resistance following the destruction of Starkiller Base, their devastating escape from D'Qar, the defeat to the First Order at the Battle of Crait, and the deaths of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
Star Wars: Duel of the Fates was the original draft of the third film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Named after the franchise's musical composition of the same name, the script was written in 2016 by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly while Trevorrow was attached as director. After Trevorrow left the project in 2017, it was replaced with a script by J. J. Abrams and Chris Terrio that became 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, although the film retained modified ideas from Duel of the Fates.