Back in late 2015, the Star Wars franchise made a monumental return to the big-screen with the long-awaited sequel Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The seventh film in the epic space saga gave devoted fans the chance to see their old favourite characters back as well as be acquainted with a new group of heroes and villains.

The sci-fi series is now preparing to unveil its eight film in the form of The Last Jedi which promises to be a darker follow-up to its predecessor. The first trailer has finally premiered at the Star Wars Celebration event and can be seen below.

Directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, Breaking Bad), the plot will follow on from the events of The Force Awakens which saw young heroine Rey come face-to-face with legendary Jedi knight Luke Skywalker. Whilst Rey undergoes training to become a Jedi, her companions Finn, Pameron Doe and General Leia Organa will find themselves preparing for another onslaught from the First Order which is led once again by the sinister Kylo Ren.

Daisy Ridley is back as Rey along with Mark Hamill as original Star Wars hero Luke whilst other returning cast members include John Boyega (Finn), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux) and Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma).

Despite her tragic death in December, the late Carrie Fisher will appear as her iconic character Leia along with fellow franchise veterans Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Peter Mayhew who shares his beloved Chewbacca role with Joonas Suotamo.

Furthermore, the film also welcomes Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, Guardians of the Galaxy), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Wild) and Kelly Marie Tran (About a Boy, Ladies Like Us) as newcomers to the successful franchise. However their roles are not yet known at the moment.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released worldwide on December 15th.