The countdown to the screening of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has officially begun. The official Facebook page of the franchise confirmed that 100 days from Sept. 8, fans in the U.K. can storm to cinemas to witness another intergalactic spectacle. 

That means that the highly-anticipated movie will land in the region on Dec. 17, allowing fans who live there to watch it a day earlier than those in the U.S. In addition, SMH has reported that theaters in France and Italy will screen the movie on Dec. 16. 

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the first movie in a planned trilogy. It is set 30 years after the events that took place in "Return of the Jedi," which was released in 1983. Details are scarce when it comes to the plot though. Disney likes to keep it tightly under wraps for the surprise element. 

Nevertheless, fans will see the main trio Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) in the film reunited after three decades for more space action. They will appear alongside new faces, including Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow and Andy Serkis. 

Lucasfilm also has loads of plans for spin-offs that they like to call the "Anthology Series." The first one titled "Star Wars: Rogue One" is already being put together, with Felicity Jones and Mads Mikkelsen already on board. It is scheduled for release on Dec. 16, 2016. In addition, a spin-off starring Han Solo is slated for 2018. 

As the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" nears, fans can pass time by bulking up their "Star Wars" toy collection. Worth checking out are action figures from Disney, Hasbro, Toys "R" Us and Lego. These goodies are part of Disney's effort to spread the word about the forthcoming film.

"We've been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' to life through an exciting array of products, and we're thrilled to finally be able to share them with fans around the world," Mike Stagg, General Manager of Retail for Disney UK and Ireland, told Mirror.