Star Wars Stormtroopers Take Over the Great Wall of China

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Star Wars Great Wall China
Five hundred replicas of the Stormtroopers characters from "Star Wars" are seen on the steps at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall of China during a promotional event for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" film, on the outskirts of Beijing, Oct. 20, 2015.Jason Lee—Reuters
By Tessa Berenson Rogers

Disney put 500 Stormtrooper figurines on the steps of the Great Wall of China, in the latest marketing push for the upcoming Star Wars sequel.

Along with the hundreds of marching stormtroopers, Disney also handed out lightsabers to the Chinese fans who showed up for the spectacle, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

It was all part of promoting J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is set to open in the United States and other countries on Dec. 18, but has not yet been given a release date for China. None of the first six Star Wars movies were screened in China, but Disney is betting that hundreds of Stormtroopers taking the Great Wall will pique the Chinese market’s interest.

[THR]

 

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Write to Tessa Berenson Rogers at tessa.Rogers@time.com