Disney Grants Dying ‘Star Wars’ Fan’s Wish to See ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Early

Disney has announced that a dying Star Wars fan’s request to watch The Rise of Skywalker with his son prior to its release date will be honored.

Earlier this week, a rep for Rowans Hospice in Hampshire, England tweeted out word that a patient at the facility wanted to see the film. “Sadly, time is not on his side for [the release date],” the rep said. “His wish is to see the final Star Wars film #RiseOfSkywalker with his young son. If you know ANYBODY who might be able to make it happen, please share with them.”

The request was quickly met with a response from original trilogy star Mark Hamill, and—just days later—confirmation from Disney CEO Bob Iger that it would indeed be honored.

In a statement shared on Thanksgiving in response to Iger’s announcement, Rowans Hospice health care support worker Lisa Davies thanked Disney and the larger Star Wars fan community for being so supportive of their efforts. As BBC News noted in their report, Davies is who first informed the rest of the hospice staff of the patient’s request.

“We cannot thank Disney enough for confirming that they will be able share the film to fulfill our patient’s wish,” Davies said. “We totally appreciate that they have had to move mountains to make this happen! The response from everyone, including the Star Wars community, has been absolutely phenomenal over the last few days. So a massive thank you to every single person that has shared our post and given their time to help make this possible. We also want to thank the media for covering the story and totally respecting the privacy of the family.”