Recap of Behind-the-Scenes Shots from 'The Force Awakens' Panel

An early look at The Making of The Force Awakens. Disney kicked things off with a bang in Anaheim as the opening panel of Star Wars Celebration , taking place this weekend in Southern California. The opening panel included an hour long discussion and first look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens , guided by director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy. They told stories of growing up with Star Wars, making sure the fans are satisfied (in every way), the daunting task of continuing this legacy when George Lucas decided to hand it over. In the background were slides showing various behind-the-scenes production photos, including on the desert planet Jakku (or is it Jaku?). And, to be frank, we love behind-the-scenes photos. This recap comes directly from the live stream of the Star Wars Celebration opening presentation.

Here's our selection of slides with photos showing The Force Awakens being filmed all over the world (they shot the desert scenes in Abu Dhabi). Any other photos missing? Please let us know! We want all of them!

These photos were sourced directly from the live stream, but are not yet available from any Star Wars sites.

Here's some of the more specific slides for the droids - mainly the new BB8 that also showed up on stage:

For the all latest from Star Wars Celebration, including more live streams + news, visit: StarWars.com . And don't forget to watch the amazing second teaser trailer now and stay tuned for more Star Wars here.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , continuing the beloved original trilogy about Luke, Leia, Han & Chewie that ended in 1983, is directed by J.J. Abrams, of the films Mission: Impossible 3, Star Trek, Super 8 and Star Trek Into Darkness. The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, The Big Chill, The Bodyguard) and J.J. Abrams, with Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm producing. This debut is the beginning of a brand new saga, with another trilogy planned for this storyline, not to mention other standalone movies in this universe. Disney, after acquiring Lucasfilm, will release Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters worldwide on December 18th, 2015 .