Star Wars director JJ Abrams grants dying fan’s wish to see film

The terminally ill Daniel Fleetwood, from Texas, has been a massive Star Wars fan since he was eight-years-old, spending his childhood collecting memorabilia, writing fan fiction and even making the local news for camping out for tickets to the prequels.

Mr Fleetwood suffers from an aggressive form of cancer that has spread to 90 per cent of his lungs. He and his wife, Ashley, has been documenting Daniel’s health on social media, posting in September that he’d been only given one or two months to live.

“If I got to see the movie, I might actually die from happiness,” Fleetwood had earlier told People magazine. “Growing up, I would watch the movies over and over and analyse every little detail. I hope I get to see what happens.”

Social media had taken up the fight, and people were tweeting stars of the film to help make Daniel’s wish come true, which he was finally granted.

Ashley wrote on Facebook: “Today the wonderful Disney, Bad Robot and Lucasfilm teams made his final dream come true, Daniel just finished watching an unfinished version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!!! We would like to thank the awesomely talented JJ Abrams for calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted! [sic]”

Disney released a statement saying that the screening had taken place, but declined to say where.