Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens) is an upcoming American epic space opera film directed by J. J. Abrams. The seventh installment in the episodic Star Wars film series, it stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow, with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker reprising roles from previous films. The story is set approximately 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983).

The Force Awakens will be the first film in the planned third Star Wars trilogy announced after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in October 2012. It is produced by Abrams, his long-time collaborator Bryan Burk, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Abrams and Kasdan rewrote an initial script by Michael Arndt, who also wrote the story treatment. John Williams returns to compose the score, and Star Wars creator George Lucas serves as creative consultant.

The Force Awakens is produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm and Abrams' Bad Robot Productions, and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Second-unit filming began in April 2014 in Abu Dhabi and Iceland, with principal photography taking place between May and November 2014 in Abu Dhabi, Ireland and Pinewood Studios in England. The Force Awakens is scheduled for release on December 18, 2015, which will be over ten years after the premiere of the previous live-action Star Wars film, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

George Lucas turned over his story treatment for Episodes VII, VIII, and IX to Disney chairman Bob Iger when Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in October 2012.[18] The first screenplay was written by Michael Arndt.[19][20][21] David Fincher[22] and Brad Bird were approached as directors, but Bird was committed to Tomorrowland.[23] Guillermo del Toro was also considered, but was busy with his own projects.[24]

J. J. Abrams was selected as the director of the film.

In January 2013, J. J. Abrams was announced as the director of Star Wars Episode VII, with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg as project consultants.[25][26] The production announced the exit of Arndt from the project on October 24, 2013 and Kasdan and Abrams took over script duties.[27] Abrams cited time concerns over the change of writers,[28] and expressed relief that the release date was announced for December 2015 instead of a previously discussed summer release.[29] He said the key for the film was to return to the roots of the first Star Wars film and be based more on emotion than explanation.[30]

As creative consultant on the film, Lucas's involvement included attending early story meetings; according to Lucas, "I mostly say, 'You can't do this. You can do that.' You know, 'The cars don't have wheels. They fly with antigravity.' There's a million little pieces... I know all that stuff."[18] Lucas's son Jett told The Guardian that his father was "very torn" about having sold the rights to the franchise, despite having hand-picked Abrams to direct, and that his father was "there to guide" but that "he wants to let it go and become its new generation."[31] Among the materials turned over to the production team were rough story treatments Lucas developed when he considered creating episodes VIIIX himself years earlier; in January 2015, Lucas stated that Disney had discarded his story ideas.[32][33]

In January 2014, Abrams confirmed that the script was complete.[34] In April 2014, Lucasfilm clarified that episodes VIIIX would not feature storylines from the Expanded Universe, though other elements could be included as with the TV series Star Wars Rebels.[35]