'Star Wars: Force Awakens' Episode 7 Release Date, Spoilers, Cast; Fans Up in Arms Around The World

Nov 11, 2015 11:55 AM EST

The Daily Mail reports that fans around the world are blocking the date in their planners and are exceedingly excited to watch JJ Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens on its release date on December 18.

Indeed, based on Abrams' interview with Wired, it's not hard to expect global fans to be up in arms over a film that promises to be 'delightful.

Says JJ in the interview: "The movie needed to be delightful. I can't wait for people to see the movie. We've been baking this cake for a long time, and now it's time to serve it."

What is the new Star Wars movie about? The filmmaker details that the Force Awakens is a standalone film that has its beginning, middle, and end, but is still able to carry a tone that implies the history behind it.

JJ likens the new movie to the first Star Wars installment where "anything was possible."

"When Star Wars first came out, it was a film that both allowed the audience to understand a new story but also to infer all sorts of exciting things that might be. In that first movie, Luke wasn't necessarily the son of Vader, he wasn't necessarily the brother of Leia, but it was all possible. The Force Awakens has this incredible advantage, not just of a passionate fan base but also of a backstory that is familiar to a lot of people."

The great thing about the sequel is that it was designed to have the new generation - who may know nothing of the Star Wars franchise and history - enjoy the movie while the old fans will enjoy the small details in a deeper way when they grasp the added meaning.

The filmmaker also talked about one old and one new character: Han Solo and Rey.

The new film will see the evolution of Han Solo, who will be played by 73-year-old Harrison Ford. At this point, with vast decades behind him, 'Harrison will be able to bring a "different set of experiences" to the character.

Meanwhile, there is Rey, played by British actress Daisy Ridley, and Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia. Rey is someone who is "'waiting for her family." The question is, who is that family? In one scene in the teaser video, Rey will be seen strolling the Jakku desert landscape with droid BB-8. She mentions family whom fans speculate may be Han Solo and Leia as her parents. Rey will meet a new friend, Finn, played by John Boyega.

Yahoo Movies reports that the new film promises to "take away prequel pain."