Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a store.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens . It is the first live-action film in the franchise since Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith , released ten years prior in 2005 . It premiered in Los Angeles on December 14 , 2015 , four days before its wide release . In the American motion picture industry , wide release refers to a motion picture that is playing nationally ( as opposed to a few cinemas in cities such as New York and Los Angeles ) .