Star Wars Celebration kicked off in Anaheim, California today in a big way, with an opening panel based solely around The Force Awakens and featuring cast members old and new, as well as director JJ Abrams.

The unveiling of the second trailer for Episode VII, which opens in the UK on 18 December 2015, gives us a much better look at the vast array of new characters to the Star Wars saga, including John Boyega’s Finn and Daisy Ridley’s Rey, as well as a first look at returning Star Wars alumni, Han Solo and Chewbacca, played by Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew, respectively.

Also on offer is a look at some of the film’s locations, including one which looks suspiciously like Hoth, the ice planet last seen in The Empire Strikes Back, and a first real look at the new Stormtroopers in the film. The trailer pays homage to previous films in the saga with dialogue reminiscent of that uttered by Luke Skywalker in Episode VI, Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens opens on 18 December 2015 and stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie, Oscar Isaac and Andy Serkis, along with Domnhall Gleeson and Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels as Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3P0.