'The Last Jedi': Latest 'Star Wars' adventure has its Shanghai premiere

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The latest "Star Wars" adventure had its premiere in Shanghai on Wednesday. "The Last Jedi" took in a staggering 450 million US dollars in global ticket sales on its opening weekend.

Stars from the Last Jedi hit the red carpet in Shanghai on Wednesday for the latest instalment of the "Star Wars" franchise. Actors Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill posed for pictures alongside models of R2-D2 and BB8, while Storm Troopers were also out in force. Fans got excited to see their stars coming to China.

TAN ZHONGXIA 18-YEAR-OLD LAW STUDENT AND FAN "I just feel Mark Hamill is really brave in the movies. And I started watching from the very first one, from when he was my age till now, a 60-year-old elderly man. He really impressed me so much."

Meanwhile, at a Shanghai press conference actor Mark Hamill praised his late co-star's performance, saying "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is a tribute to Carrie Fisher's entire career.

MARK HAMILL ACTOR "She is wonderful in this film. It's a tribute to her entire career that it could culminate in this movie. So, of course, we will never stop missing her and it's sad that she's not here to witness how loved she is and how people will react to her in this film."

As for Daisy Ridley, she told the press conference it was only when the film came out that she realized how carefully the strong characters were split between men and women.

DAISY RIDLEY ACTRESS "To me, it wasn't about the gender. I was just like it's an awesome role. And when we were doing press for it, and then, actually really it was after the film came out, the reaction was so strong, that is sort of made me see it in a different way."

Director Rian Johnson added that it's the first time that they did 50 -50 percent with male and female, all the background actors are half and half male and female.

Johnson insists the heart of the story is something most young adults can relate to.

RIAN JOHNSON DIRECTOR "It's a very human story about young adults trying to grow up."

The movie is set for release in theaters in China from January 5th.