J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy to Kick Off Star Wars Celebration

For  J.J. Abrams, the Star Wars Celebration circle is now complete.

StarWars.com is thrilled to announce that the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- who once attended Star Wars Celebration as a fan -- is confirmed to appear at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim this April. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will kick off the show in a big way on Thursday morning, April 16, at 10:00 a.m. This will be a day long remembered.

Kennedy attended Celebration Europe in July 2013, where she had an in-depth chat with host Warwick Davis, and revealed that John Williams would return to score Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She also toured the show floor, checking out the work of the R2 Builders Club -- which led to members of the fan group joining the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Visit starwarscelebration.com to buy tickets, and check back closer to the show for queuing and wristband details.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is scheduled for release December 18, 2015.

Art Show First Look

In other Star Wars Celebration news, StarWars.com has a special sneak peek at new art created exclusively for the Celebration Art Show. As seen below, the work ranges from the photorealism of Alex Ross to the superdeformed cartoon style of Katie Cook, and everything in between. Look for these prints at the show!

Download the Star Wars Celebration App

Finally, the Star Wars Celebration app is now fully armed and operational. It acts as a full guide for the show, from panel schedule to exhibitors to guests appearing. Download it today for iOS and Android devices!

StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.