Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens releases new trailer

STAR Wars fans have been given a sneak peak of the eagerly anticipated next film. Watch it here.

They’re back ... Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill are shown in a scene from Star Wars. Picture: Supplied.

STAR Wars fans have been given a sneak peak of the eagerly anticipated next film.

The trailer doesn’t give too much away about Star Wars: The Force Awakens ahead of its release in cinemas next year.

The voiceover talks about “an awakening” and asks “have you felt it?” It opens with

British actor John Boyega racing across a desert landscape dressed in full Storm trooper regalia.

While the clip, at 88-seconds long is frustratingly short, it does confirm the return of the iconic Millennium Falcon.

Earlier in November, studio giant Disney revealed the name of the new episode, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, saying filming had been completed on the movie, due for release on December 18, 2015.

“The dark side ... and the light,” the voiceover continues, as what appears to be a dark Sith Lord displays his new-look lightsaber in a forest, accompanied by composer John Williams’ trademark stirring music.

The last Star Wars film was in 2005, when the final part of the “prequel trilogy”, Revenge of the Sith, debuted on cinema screens.

Teaser ... US director JJ Abrams. Picture: AFP

JJ Abrams, who is directing the first of the rebooted Star Wars films, shared the announcement of the trailer for the new film on social media.

THANKSGIVING pic.twitter.com/46811BgWiF

— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) November 24, 2014

The film reunites Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill alongside new stars Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong’o.

Inevitably, Star Wars fans immediately flooded the internet with comments and observations.

Many seemed split about the practicalities of the design of the lightsaber, which had flaming laser beams coming out the handle in what looked like some sort of hand-guard.

The seventh movie in the Star Wars franchise, which was launched more than 35 years ago, benefits from far superior visual effects than those first films, though the original battle ships are back.

The new cast ... J.J Abrams (top centre right) at the cast read-through of Star Wars Episode VII. Picture: David James.

The film will pick up 30 years after the end of Return of the Jedi.