Terminally ill Star Wars fan sees Force Awakens a month early
'With everything I got, I love Star Wars,' said Daniel Fleetwood
A terminally ill Star Wars fan watched the new movieThe Force Awakenson Thursday evening weeks before its widespread releaseafter a successful social media campaign got the attention of the filmmakers.
Thehashtag#ForceForDanielwas coined by Ashley Fleetwood on Twitter on behalf of her partner Daniel,in an attempt to convince Disney,Lucasfilmand production company Bad Robot to make the special screening happen.
#forcefordaniel help my man get his last wish, to see a screening of Star Wars before cancer takes him. @bad_robot pic.twitter.com/XCuYD0KlpY
—@pandorashley
"Today, the wonderful Disney andLucasfilmmade his final dream come true,"Fleetwood wrote onFacebookon Thursday.
YES! Thank you @Disney, @HamillHimself, @starwars and everyone who helped this man get a smile on his face! pic.twitter.com/mWrF1xqqbY
—@Calexak0s
Daniel Fleetwood, 32, of Spring, Texas, was diagnosed two years ago withspindle cell sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue, Ashleywrote on aGoFundMepageshe created to help cover his medical bills.
Despite surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer spread to his lungs. On Sept. 1, doctors told him he had one to two months to live.
In October, Fleetwood told KPRC-TV in Houston that he doesn't expect to live to see the movie in its theatrical release on Dec. 18.
"I just love Star Wars," he said. "With everything I got,I love Star Wars."
Daniel's story and the hashtag quickly went viral and was retweetedby Star Wars actorsMark Hamill, Peter Mayhew and John Boyega.
The social news website Reddit also helped promote the campaign.
A dying man's wish to see #StarWars The Force Awakens Help spread the word : #ForceForDaniel https://t.co/0tA3ET3DdH pic.twitter.com/zbWM7VhvGK
—@TheNerdFu
Wish GRANTED! #ForceForDaniel <3 You did it, Reddit! https://t.co/Hg0UPLPVRL pic.twitter.com/MWLYBqtuLJ
—@reddit
"We would like to thank the awesomely talented J.J. Abramsfor calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted!" wrote Ashley Fleetwood.
Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, took to Twitter to thank the makers of the upcoming sequel.
I just read this and am elated for Daniel & his family! Thanks to the powers-that-be for making his dream come true. https://t.co/ImiAdyBxf8
—@HamillHimself
Abrams has a history of granting this sort of request. In2013, Abrams allowed Daniel Craft, a New York-based film buff, tosee an early cut of Star Trek: Into Darkness nearly five months ahead of its release after Craft was diagnosed with cancer.