Ever since his debut in the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens last November, fans just can't get enough of the lovable ball droid BB-8. As the countdown continues to this epic space adventure, Comic Book Resources has unveiled a new promo from the Disney Channel, which features new footage of BB-8 and Rey (Daisy Ridley), where she asks the robot where he's from. While we can't quite make out what he says, Rey apparently is fluent in droid-speak, and reveals that his origins are "classified."
In related news, The Walt Disney Company announced today that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released in Chinese theaters on January 9th, 2016. The studio also released a Chinese poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, tailor-made for local audiences. The one-sheet is quite similar to the American posters, featuring characters such as Rey, BB-8, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Finn (John Boyega) and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie). Here's what John Hsu, newly appointed General Manager, Studio, The Walt Disney Company, China, had to say about the Chinese release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
"We are thrilled to bring Star Wars: The Force Awakens to China on January 9th. We're excited to be rolling out our marketing campaign and to connect with new fans in China through Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
China has emerged as one of the largest global markets, which has proven quite lucrative for several Hollywood releases. For example, last week, The Martian debuted in China, raking in a whopping $50 million in its opening weekend, besting the Chinese debuts of blockbusters such as Gravity and Interstellar. We'll have to wait and see if Star Wars: The Force Awakens is just as big a hit in China, since it has already set box office records in the U.S.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has already earned $50 million from advanced ticket sales in the U.S., already shattering the record of $25 million set by The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Analysts predicted earlier this year that Star Wars: The Force Awakens could earn upwards of $300 million domestically in its first weekend, which would demolish the new record of $208.8 million set earlier this summer by Jurassic World. While we wait for more details on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, check out the promo and Chinese poster below. We also have a new Spanish TV commercial where the La Roja soccer squad attempts to come to grips with their new ball.