Superfan Gets Dying Wish, Watches Star Wars Early

More than a month before the film likely shatters all box-office records, the makers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens took the time out of their busy schedule to screen an unedited version of the film for a dying fan, Mashable reports. Daniel Fleetwood, 32, was diagnosed with a rare cancer in July and given two months to live. A Star Wars superfan, one of Fleetwood's final wishes was to see the new film. Online support poured in for him—including from actors Mark Hamill, John Boyega, and Peter Mayhew—using the hashtag #ForceForDaniel. It worked.

"Today the wonderful Disney and Lucasfilm people made his final dream come true in the amazing, typical Disney way," Fleetwood's wife, Ashley, posted to Facebook on Thursday. "They really do make dreams come true." Mashable reports representatives from Lucasfilm showed up at Fleetwood's home to screen an unedited copy of the film, which doesn't open nationwide until Dec. 18, following a personal phone call from director JJ Abrams. "I want to thank all the amazing people who helped make this happen," Ashley posted on Facebook. "Thank you beyond words. May the Force be with you all." According to the Verge, it's not the first time Abrams has done something like this. In 2013, he screened a copy of his Star Trek Into Darkness for a fan just days before the fan died. (More Star Wars stories.)