Die-hard Star Wars fan already queueing for The Force Awakens screenings

We thought we were in maximum excitement mode in the lead-up to the hotly anticipated release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but these superfans aren’t just taking the cake, they’re baking it themselves from a self-made R2-D2 mold and slicing it with a limited edition lightsaber.
As early as last Saturday afternoon - a full 12 days before the film’s first midnight screenings on December 17 - diehards from a group aptly called ‘The Line Awakens’ started setting up camp next to the historic Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The cinema is a particularly meaningful choice, as this was one of only 30 or so venues across the U.S. that hosted the release of the original film in May 1977. The group aren’t just waiting for the film, however – their patience and excitement is also being used to support a great cause, as their camp-out is raising money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
It’s not the only great display of Star Wars fan mania this week. At a CSKA Sofia match in Bulgaria, a stadium full of supporters donning paper Stormtrooper masks began chanting along to ‘The Imperial March’, Darth Vader’s ominous theme, raising an imposing Vader banner, and setting off copious flares.The pyrotechnics seem to be a sly nod to an upcoming battle scene where Captain Phasma (played by our Hot Press Annual interviewee, Gwendoline Christie) and her Stormtroopers lay waste to a village with flamethrowers. Either way, the (ahem) show of force worked for Sofia, who won the match 3 – 0.

We’ve yet to see any such largescale madness in Ireland, though there’s yet time for queues to begin outside cinemas, and for hoards of Star Wars fans to descend on Skellig Michael, the remote Irish island that’s rumoured to feature in the film as a refuge for Luke Skywalker. Actor Mark Hamill, immortalised as Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, was spotted in the sleepy Kerry fishing village of Portmagee with an entourage of Hollywood directors, camera men and crew, who took numerous boat trips back and forth to Skellig Micheal, where the mystical setting and beehive-shaped monastic cells and shelters add a layer of timeless intrigue and serenity. Apparently Hamill became quite friendly with the locals, even learning how to pull a pint from the Bridge Bar barman Ciaran Kelly, and quipping, “It’s never too late to start a new profession. Something to fall back on if this whole Star Wars thing goes away.” Eh, we don’t think there’s any danger of that, Hamill. The village has already seen a spike in booked tours to the island, and expects the fan tourism to rocket over the coming year due to the film's inevitable box office success.
What about you, Irish Star Wars fans? How are you preparing for the big release? Will you be visiting Skellig Michael, getting dressed up, or having an original Star Wars movie marathon in preparation? Tweet @hotpress to your plans or just show us how huge a Star Wars fan you are!
Oh and remember: All diehard fans should read our interviews with the Women of Star Wars:The Force Awakens in the Hot Press Annual, which hits shelves on Wednesday.