Star Wars: The Force Awakens fan frenzy blasts trailer to 40M views
Fans also learn whose voice is behind the trailer's ominous audio
Star Wars fans are going wild in anticipation of the franchise's latest instalment.
The 88-second Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer released Friday has garnered more than 40 million YouTube views in 72 hours.
- On mobile? Watch the trailer here
Fans have also learned that the actor behind the ominous voice-over in the trailer is Andy Serkis, the award-winning actor who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
"There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?" asks Serkis as the trailer begins. Then the camera pans over a sandy landscape, that looks like the desert planet Tatooine, and actor John Boyega pops into frame as a panicked-looking stormtrooper.
Iconic franchise images
The iconic X-wing Starfighters and the Millennium Falcon also appear, and the familiar notes of the iconic Star Wars theme can be heard.
The trailer has been mostly met with praise from fans hungry for the next instalment.
"It looks like [director] J.J. Abrams has pulled off an impressive balancing act, by giving us the Star Wars retro-futuristic feel, while at the same time updating the franchise's style," said CBC film critic Eli Glasner.
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Earlier this month, Lucasfilm confirmed that principal photography for the film was completed. The studio also revealed that Star Wars Episode VII would be called The Force Awakens, triggering an outpouring of jokes online.
Earlier this year, 72-year-old Ford broke his ankle during filming, reportedly on the door of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft.
The Force Awakens is slated for wide release on Dec. 18, 2015.