Star Wars: Disney boss pledges to help dying fan see Rise Of Skywalker before UK release
Written by News on 27/11/2019
Disney chairman Bob Iger has pledged to help a dying man at a hospice in Hampshire see the new Star Wars film early.
He responded to an appeal from Rowans Hospice on Twitter, which said time was running out one of its patients who is a “huge” fan of the films and wants to see the upcoming instalment with his son.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is the ninth and final episode in the long-running Skywalker saga, but it is not due for release in the UK until 19 December.
Referencing one of the most famous lines from the original Star Wars film from 1977, the hospice had asked for help from star Mark Hamill and director JJ Abrams.
It tweeted: “This is our most desperate hour. Help us @HamillHimself, @jjabrams, you’re our only hope.”
Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the series, showed his support by wishing the hospice “good luck” and urging the staff to contact Disney, saying: “They are the only ones who can make this happen.”
Iger, chairman and chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, has since replied saying that he would “certainly try” to secure an early screening for the patient – and the hospice is now awaiting further details.
Anticipation among fans is growing as time ticks ever closer towards the release date, with Abrams having promised the film will bring a “cohesive” end to the entire series.
Iger has previously said that Disney will take a break from Star Wars films once The Rise Of Skywalker is out, with the creators of Game Of Thrones having recently walked away from a new trilogy they were working on.
The status of another previously announced new trilogy, set to be helmed by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, has also barely been commented on since it was first revealed.
Fans may have to be content with TV shows in the coming years, with Star Wars projects to form a major part of the streaming service Disney+.
The platform launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands earlier this month and attracted more than 10 million subscribers on its first day, with much of the excitement focused on its Star Wars series The Mandalorian.
(c) Sky News 2019: Star Wars: Disney boss pledges to help dying fan see Rise Of Skywalker before UK release
