Mark Hamill talks setting up a new generation with Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens warp-speeding into cinemas this December, Mark Hamill has talked about boarding the Millennium Falcon for the first time in 30 years.

Not only that, but it seems Hamill feels confident that JJ Abrams was the perfect man for the director's chair.

He adds: “It was interesting to see it helmed by someone who is such a fan of the originals like JJ Abrams. It’s really about setting up for a new generation.”

Hamill will appear as Luke Skywalker in the film alongside original players Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker.

They'll be joined by fresh meat in the form of John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie among many others for what looks like one heck of a franchise comeback.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in UK cinemas 18 December 2015.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.