Do you remember where you were when you first heard those three little words? They’re the words that can’t help but make you smile. Or cry. Or probably smile and cry. Also scream. You know which three words I’m talking about, right? "Chewie...we’re home." Peter Mayhew remembers where he was when he heard them, and it’s not a moment he’ll likely ever forget. If 7,000 fans were freaking out in front of you, you likely wouldn’t forget it either.
It was this past April at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim when the first full trailer was screened for attendees. The man behind the Chewbacca mask told Bmag that he hadn’t actually seen the trailer so he didn’t know what to expect. While much of the trailer focuses on the new cast, it was the line at the end, spoken by an old friend, that made the hall erupt and caused Mayhew to beam with pride.
I’m thinking it’s just going to be the sand dunes and blah blah blah. But then Han and Chewie are there, and the line is, ‘Chewie, we’re home.’ And everybody in the hall is crying, or laughing, or cheering, or whatever. And I just thought, ‘Wow. How can we not have a success when you get 7,000 people reacting like that?’ … It was marvellous. It was one of those moments… it gives you pride in what you’ve established.
In addition to the 7,000 people who reacted in numerous ways, millions more all over the world had similar reactions to that trailer for the same reason. In fact, the people on the set of the movie had similarly awed reactions to the scene when it was filmed. It had to be an amazing feeling for Mayhew. While his character is as iconic a part of Star Wars as anything the fact that he has spent every film completely covered tends to separate him from his other co-stars. Here, watch the trailer again yourself. If those three words don’t make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, it’s possible you have no soul.
Freaking out at new trailers has become standard practice for both fans and the actors themselves. Fans are pretty much all going crazy at this point. Where were you when you heard Han Solo speak those three little words?
