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“I guess I was dreaming about ‘ ’ even before I saw the film,� Gosling said.

, who will direct the movie, told the crowd that “Star Wars: Starfighter� will not be a prequel or a sequel, but a new standalone adventure with new characters set several years after “Episode Nine.� Filming starts later this year, he said.

Levy, who also directed the 2006 film “The Pink Panther� and the recent Netflix series “Stranger Things,� said little else, noting: “I can’t say much about it because I understand the rules.�

Only the title was shown on a giant screen, although that was enough for the crowd to burst into cheers.

The event, called Star Wars Celebration, which runs through Sunday, is full of "Star Wars"-themed merchandise including T-shirts, toys, books, manga comics, AC chargers, cellphone covers, autographs, posters and more.

The Lego booth featured a man wearing the ominous black mask and cloak of Darth Vader, made out of Legos. The deep-breathing villain also appeared as traditional Japanese lacquerware decorating earphones in a limited edition of 10, each selling for 990,000 yen ($7,000). Darth Vader T-shirts were more affordable at 8,000 yen ($56).

“It makes me so happy to think everyone here loves ‘Star Wars,’� said Yoshiki Takahashi, 26, who was holding a remote-controlled R2-D2 miniature robot.

“I love the directing, the sound of the gun and the lightsaber, but above all the story, with great fight scenes and, of course, human drama,� he added.

Another Japanese man, who said he goes only by Hiro, was dressed as the “Star Wars� character , in a detailed costume he made himself, complete with a plastic sword and armor.

Also present were “Star Wars� fans from around the world, including a robed Raul Herrera, a computer science teacher from Chile, who was there with friends.

“All of them,� said Herrera, when asked which ‘Star Wars’ films he’d seen. “The sense of commitment of the characters, I really like it.�

With offshoot stories spanning generations and literally the cosmos, “Star Wars� is one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time since its 1977 debut, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

It may be natural that “Star Wars� appeals to Japanese: Its story about a samurai-like hero who befriends various characters along his journey echoes the nation’s fables, as well as legendary .

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Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: