Star Wars fans are a passionate bunch, to say the least. Now, one terminally ill fan is hoping to use that passion to convince Lucasfilm to let him see the newest film before it is released. There's now a pretty good chance that the studio will hear his plea, as Mark Hamill himself has made sure that over one million have heard the story.
Neil Hanvey was told back in April that he had eight months to live. This would mean that he might not make it to December, to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story when it's released December 16. This has led his wife Andrea, and a hospice worker named Amy Duncan, to try and get Neil's story to go viral with the hashtag #RogueOneWish. The hope is that they can get enough support to convince Lucasfilm to let Neil see the new movie early since he may not have a chance to see it otherwise. Now, The Wrap is reporting that Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, has picked up the cause as he retweeted the story to his over 1 million Twitter followers. Hamill isn't the only one to amplify the signal. The story has also been picked up by a major Star Wars podcast, and it was even tweeted out by somebody at the starting line of a bike race during the Olympics.
Part of the reason for this campaign is likely the fact that it has worked before. Last year, the wife of Daniel Fleetwood started a similar campaign to get her husband an opportunity to see Star Wars The Force Awakens prior to its release. He was shown the film in November alongside his family and passed away not long after. That campaign was also picked up by numerous people within the Star Wars franchise, including Mark Hamill, so it's possible that his support here could also go a long way toward making this happen as well.
While most Star Wars fans simply have to deal with a wait that might seem interminable, the fact is that the vast majority of us will still get to see the movie eventually, even if it feels like we've already been waiting forever. The idea that some may never get the opportunity unless help is given is a terrible one to contemplate. We're sure there are far more people who will never have the chance to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. We wish there was a way they could all get that chance.
We'll keep our eyes on this one and see if Lucasfilm makes any official comment. We're holding out hope that Neil Hanvey will be able to take one final trip to that galaxy far, far, away. The rest of will be right behind him.
