Star Wars: The Force Awakens skipping awards season to keep plot secret

The Force Awakens could still be in the running for Oscars but will be ruled out of a string of other awards

Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (IMDB)

JJ Abrams is going to great lengths to protect Star Wars: The Force Awakens from spoilers, so much so that the film will skip the early awards season to keep its plot details tightly under wraps.

Disney and Lucasfilm has reportedly opted out of entering the movie for the National Board of Review, as doing so would mean it had to be watched before its 18 December release.

The thought of any storyline secrets leaking to fans early has led the company to effectively rule Star Wars out of nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards (often considered a precursor to the Oscars), the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

The Golden Globes would probably be a no-go too, but the film could still run for Academy Awards nominations for those are voted for in early January before the star-studded ceremony on Sunday 28 February.

Marshall Fine, chairman of the NYFCC, believes Star Wars will not need awards to pull people into cinema seats.

“No-one who is thinking about seeing Star Wars is waiting for the critics to weigh in on this film, whether with awards or with reviews, to decide whether to buy a ticket,” he told The Wrap.

There have been four trailers and a promotional poster so far, as well as some hints hidden in ads. Refreshingly, very little else has emerged, making the upcoming release all the more exciting.

It remains in doubt whether Star Wars would have won any of the above awards anyway, as voters often favour more ‘out there’ choices over special-effects-heavy blockbusters. The Force Awakens is, however, expected to be named the highest-grossing film in history.

One of very few to have seen the movie was mega-fan Daniel Fleetwood, who was shown an early cut last week, shortly before he sadly died.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in UK cinemas on 17 December. May the force be with you as you wait.