'Chewie, they're home': Vanity Fair cover to feature new Star Wars cast

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/03/star-wars-the-force-awakens-vanity-fair-annie-leibovitz

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Related: What we learned from The Force Awakens teaser and press conference

Vanity Fair announced on Sunday that the cover of its June issue will be graced by the stars of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, shot by the acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

“Chewie, they’re home,” the magazine’s announcement began, echoing the already iconic line – “Chewie, we’re home” – that is spoken by Harrison Ford’s Han Solo at the end of the latest trailer for the new movie to his constant companion, the wookie Chewbacca.

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The magazine’s tweet to announce the cover went for: “Chewie, we’re on the cover!”

The appearance of the two characters and Ford’s line caused a sensation when the trailer was released last month, prompting among ageing fans happy memories of the original trilogy of Star Wars films, which were released between 1977 and 1983 and to which the design and feel of the new movie, directed by JJ Abrams, appear to harken.

Star Wars #TheForceAwakens on the cover of @VanityFair !! pic.twitter.com/a0bc9s9Xbw

The Force Awakens will be the seventh Star Wars movie, following the less critically successful trilogy of prequels that were directed by creator George Lucas and released between 1999 and 2005. Abrams is the creator of the TV hit Lost and the director of two recent Star Trek movies.

With Ford, 72, and Chewie – played as he was in the original films by the 7ft British actor Peter Mayhew, who is now 70 – the Vanity Fair cover features new characters played by British actors: Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, and Finn, played by John Boyega. BB-8, a droid successor to the original films’ beloved R2-D2, also features.

Related: Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer – eight things we learned

Original stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) also return for a story reportedly set around 35 years after the events portrayed in the third of the original films, Return of the Jedi.

The magazine promised more photographs, interviews and exclusive video on Monday, and offered subscribers to its newsletter an “exclusive character portrait”. The extra content will be launched on the magazine’s website on 4 May, which, thanks to another iconic line – “May the Force be with you” – is known among fans as Star Wars Day.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in the US on 18 December.