This past weekend, a teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was released to high anticipations from the public.

The trailer is merely a teaser that clocks in at just over a minute long, a quick taste of the things that can be expected from the film, and consequently does not show much of the plot. The trailer features a rolling ball-robot, a glimpse of some updated Stormtroopers, a shot of  what is presumably the film’s villain, wielding a red-bladed light saber reminiscent of a medieval broadsword, and a few vehicles, most notably the Millennium Falcon and updated X-Wings.

The new Star Wars film will be released December 18, 2015, a year-long wait that is likely much too long for the films’ fan base. There is much anticipation behind the project, both because of, and despite, the previous prequel films. To say that the prequel trilogy garnered mixed reviews would be putting it mildly. The films were treated to the same grand anticipation that awaits the next one, but were met with lukewarm responses from fans and critics. However, despite the previous films’ failure to meet high expectations from the fans, people are still hoping that these new films will bring them what they lacked in the prequels.

This will be the first Star Wars film to be released in the aftermath of Lucasfilm’s acquisition by Disney, a move that was received with skepticism by supporters. In the aftermath of the prequel films’ quality debacle, many people are understandably apprehensive about the planned new trilogy. With a new director, writer, production company, and many new actors, the film has plenty of potential opportunities to be a complete flop.

For the film, J. J. Abrams of Star Trek is pulling the triple role of co-writer, producer, and director. Actors from the original trilogy of films, including Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, will act in the film, presumably reprising their original roles. Andy Serkis, most lauded for his motion-capture work in The Lord of the Rings films, will also be making an appearance.

Not much is known about the plot of the film or the roles the characters will be playing; however, it is known that the events of the film will be set approximately 30 years following the events of the previous film, Return of the Jedi.

As of now, fans are debating over what they can expect from the new films, and people have every reason to be a little anxious. However, with George Lucas no longer the writer, and the almost universally-panned actors from the prequels such as Hayden Christensen gone, you might say that there is a ‘New Hope’ for the franchise.