LOS ANGELES -- If you stumbled across the Los Angeles Convention Center over the weekend, you might have seen a Yu-Gi-Oh! competition, a ski-equipment expo or the colorful silks worn by attendees of the Sikh Study Circle.
But what you didn't see, behind a giant curtain (and two security guards) right there in the middle of everything, was the white hot center of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens marketing universe.
Here was held the secretive Global Press Day, where journalists of all stripes convened for interviews with cast, have their pictures taken with droids and soaked up all manner of games, art, costumes and giveaway stuff. The film wasn't screened, though, a topic of some controversy.
At the end of it all, the cast and crew assembled for an afternoon press conference so thick with Force Awakens stars that they had to break it into two parts. In the first batch: J.J. Abrams, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Carrie Fisher and Lawrence Kasdan.
Catch the whole thing in order (below), or jump ahead for highlights.
Surprise! Mindy Kaling is our moderator
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Adam Driver talks about Kylo Ren: "He's a great cook. He's a Scorpio."
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Carrie Fisher: "I am the beginning of Girl Power. Deal with it!"
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The cast talks about what scared them -- and putting on those costumes
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Lawrence Kasdan answers that tricky 'canon' question
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J.J. Abrams is asked: "Are there Ewoks in the film?"
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And that's when the first group cleared off the stage. Kaling stayed on to introduce the second group, which included, from left to right: Oscar Isaac, Gwendoline Christie, John Boyega, Kathleen Kennedy and Harrison Ford.
Surprise! Mindy Kaling is still our moderator
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Harrison Ford on the difference between working on The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars
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John Boyega says: "I really don't care about the 'black Stormtrooper stuff ... I couldn't care less."
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The 'new characters' talk about their backstories
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Harrison Ford talks about coming back to playing Han Solo
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The cast talks about their favorite moments from the original films
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