‘Star Wars’ fans light up Las Vegas for premiere of new film

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 offered R2-D2 popcorn buckets with a soda attachment on top on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

George R. Addison III pretends to feed his Yoda doll at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Sterling Schwartz, left, dressed as Chewbacca and Kaelin Andruss, right, dressed as a Jedi Knight, pose for a portrait at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

John Athan, 6, waves his light saber at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

For $50, attendees of the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 could purchase an R2-D2 popcorn bucket with a soda cup topper on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Zach Paugh of Las Vegas wears Padme’s lake dress at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Sydney Pollard of Las Vegas wears a Princess Leia headband at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Alberto Jr. of Spain, left, and Paul Arebalo of El Salvador, right, pose for a portrait in their Jedi costumes at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. The two said they are life-long Star Wars fans. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Justin Dove of Fort Collins, Colorado poses for a portrait dressed in a Chewbacca onesie at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

The lobby of the AMC Town Square 8 before the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

The line for snacks is busy before the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

Star Wars fans watch previews before the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere at AMC Town Square 8 on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_

“Star Wars” fans from across the Las Vegas Valley flocked to theaters to see “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” on Thursday.

The film is the closing chapter in the franchise’s third trilogy.

Few films have captured the popular imagination like 1977’s “Star Wars,” which has sparked three film trilogies, TV shows, toys and more.

“The Rise of Skywalker” is one of the year’s most-anticipated releases, in part because filmmakers have promised a conclusion to the story of the Skywalker clan that includes Luke, Leia and their father Anakin, who became Darth Vader.

Disney paid more than $4 billion to acquire the Star Wars franchise in 2012 and the recent trilogy started by Abrams in 2015 with “The Force Awakens.”

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.