Video: 'The Force Awakens' A 'Brand New' Film, Says Director

The cast and crew of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" spoke to the media in Shanghai after the Chinese premiere on Monday. Hoping Chinese audiences will soak up the film, which has already broken box office records, director J.J. Abrams said he believed the seventh installment of the intergalactic franchise is entirely new material, but rests on a "powerful" foundation for the storyline.

The new "Star Wars" has already topped "Jurassic World" for the biggest opening weekend ever making $529 million globally. On Friday, "The Force Awakens" set a U.S. and Canadian record for largest box office success on Christmas day, with $49.3 million, Disney said, which topped the previous record of $24.6 million set by "Sherlock Holmes" in 2009.

The film crossed the $1 billion dollar mark globally with record speed on Sunday, becoming the fastest film to make $1 billion in history. Lead actor John Boyega said that audiences new to the series don't have to watch the other films to understand the plot of "Awakens". China is relatively new to the "Star Wars" franchise, but Disney is working hard to boost the series' fan base within the country. The film is set to open officially in China, the world's No. 2 movie market, on January 9.