"Before the new Star Wars movie had its splashy Hollywood premiere, producer Kathleen Kennedy joined the cast onstage. 'It's a real privilege to make movies," she said. "Everyone involved on The Force Awakens knows how lucky we've been to carry on this incredible legacy that George began over 40 years ago.'"

"Kennedy is president of Lucasfilm, handpicked by George Lucas to take over his company and the franchise."

"Like many fans, Kennedy remembers waiting to see the first Star Wars movie, back in 1977."

"'I was actually in college, down in San Diego, and I, too, stood in line,' she recalls. 'That was part of the excitement. You'd be in line for hours, and you didn't care. It would turn into sort of a party atmosphere. We were secretly hoping we could re-create that with this.'"