Star Wars Trailer Has Fans, Disney Shareholders Drooling

(RTTNews) - The trailer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the latest installment from epic space film franchisee created by George Lucas, has sent both fans and Disney investors into a frenzy.

Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) market capitalization, which now owns the Star Wars franchisee, was boosted by about $2 billion after the studio released the second teaser of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fans of Star Wars have also shown their enthusiasm with the trailer being watched about 40 million times on the YouTube since April 16.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is scheduled for release on December 18, 2015, with both the studio and analysts very positive that the film will render a strong performance. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh installment of the series is being directed by J. J. Abrams. The story is set about 30 years after the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

The first movie in the series, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, had grossed about $1.1 billion in inflation-adjusted terms, according to Box Office Mojo. The latest installment is expected to cross that figure easily and much more quickly too.

In 2012, Walt Disney had acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and announced plans to produce three new films in the Star Wars series.

DIS is currently trading at $108.30, up $1.61 or 1.51%, on the NYSE, with a market capitalization of about $184.2 billion.