It’s Star Wars Day! And in celebration, Vanity Fair snagged an exclusive first look at the upcoming J.J. Abrams joint, a little film called Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. The contemporary, pop culture and fashion mag brought portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz to shoot on location for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Leibovitz is no stranger to capturing iconic moments as she recently shot the Kanye West-Kim Kardashsian wedding dress cover for Vogue. Not only has VF pulled back the elusive SW curtain, but they have also confirmed a few character speculations many Bothans have been dying to know the answer to.

Thanks to this video, we are treated to our first look at Adam Driver on the set of The Force Awakens, who plays a Sith Lord by the name of Kylo Ren. What’s interesting about this incredible reveal is that it shows him in character without the mask, something the trailers have yet to include.

The photo shoot also brings us a closer look at Daisy Ridley in character as Rey who can be seen atop her speeder. (I got a chance to see the speeder in person at Star Wars Celebration last month.) There are also moments inside the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit with Ridley, as well as Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and John Boyega (Finn).

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Now while those pointing fingers at Driver to be the man behind the mask can rest at ease knowing they were right, we’ve not had any clue as to who Oscar winner Lupito Nyong’o would be playing. From the Vanity Fair article published today, we learn that Lupita has donned a mo-cap suit to embody her CGI rendered character, Maz Katana, a space pirate whose good fortune allow her to own a castle with many colorful guests, which you can see below.

Another huge confirmation in this month’s issue is that Gwendoline Christie is in fact the chrome Stormtrooper who goes by the name of Captain Phasma. She is a leader amongst The First Order, the remnants of the Galactic Empire. And on the other side of the coin, the Rebel Alliance is now known as The Resistance – maybe they’ll sing “Do You Hear the Ewoks Sing”? One can assume that Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac, will be one of the top pilots of the Resistance.

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And on a hilarious note to end on, Abrams teased fans that he’d thought about killing the infamous Jar Jar Binks,

“I have a thought about putting Jar Jar Binks’s bones in the desert there. I’m serious! Only three people will notice, but they’ll love it.”

There are still many secrets to be uncovered, which we hope to see as we draw closer to the end of the year.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars John Boyega as Finn, Daisy Ridley as Kira Rey, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, Andy Serkis, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the stars of the original trilogy, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker as R2-D2. The film is set to release on December 18, 2015.

May the Fourth be with you! This issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands on May 12, the digital edition will be out May 7.

Source: Vanity Fair and StarWars-Universe