
As the excitement builds ahead of the new Star Wars film, a huge display of Stormtroopers has been assembled at the Great Wall of China.

The 500 replica characters were placed on the steps at the Juyongguan section of the wall near Beijing for a promotional event yesterday.

Stormtroopers are elite soldiers wearing white armed with blaster rifles who are the key ground troops of the Galactic Empire in the series.

Tickets for Stars Wars: Episode VII went on sale two days ago, even though the movie does not open in cinemas for another two months.

The Force Awakens, which is released on December 17, is set three decades after Return of the Jedi - the third film in the original trilogy.

Two cinema chains say the film is already their most pre-booked on record. On Monday the Vue chain sold 10,000 tickets in 90 minutes.

On the same day Odeon took ‘tens of thousands’ of bookings before lunchtime and ‘thousands’ each hour throughout the afternoon.

Rian Johnson is directing Episode VIII of the series for a May 2017 release and Colin Trevorrow is set for Episode IX for 2019.

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Imposing sight: 500 Stormtrooper replicas from Star Wars stand on the steps at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall of China

Line up: The Stormtroopers were on the Great Wall during a promotional event for the new Star Wars film on the outskirts of Beijing

In the darkness: The stunt was carried out as tickets for Episode VII went on sale, although it does not open in cinemas until December

Popular: Star Wars fans wielded toy lightsabers and climbed the steps of Great Wall to have photographs taken with the Stormtroopers

Bringing along the cat: A fan holding a Stormtrooper helmet poses for a group photo at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall

New film: The Force Awakens, which opens on December 17, is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi - the third film in the original trilogy