Abu Dhabi sand dunes showcased in first “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” teaser

•    Abu Dhabi was the first filming location for the seventh episode of the global movie franchise

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 1 December, 2014: One of the major Hollywood productions to take advantage of Abu Dhabi as top international filming and production location, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, released its first teaser last Friday. 

The teaser, which opens with a scene of a desert landscape in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, received over 25 million views on YouTube since its launch.

Due to premiere in December 2015, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was co-produced in Abu Dhabi with the support of twofour54 intaj’s award-winning filming and production infrastructure. Moreover, the film benefited from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 percent rebate and the capital’s captivating filming locations.

Hundreds of crew members worked on the production along with, director J.J. Abrams and the cast who flew to Abu Dhabi in May 2013 with the support of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and twofour54. Additionally, six Emirati interns were involved in producing the movie and two of them are currently continuing their internship with Pinewood Studios in London. 

Being home to a number of international productions including the paranormal thriller Deliver us from Evil from Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious 7 and Bollywood feature film Bang Bang from Fox Star Studios, Abu Dhabi was named as a top international filming destination by P3 Update magazine, the only Middle Eastern city to be listed.