The Force is strong with them and 31 years after the release of Return of the Jedi, the stars of the original Star Wars trilogy will return to the galaxy far, far away.

After a long period of speculation since the announcement of a new Star Wars trilogy, today the official website confirmed the return of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).

The first official image released from the production of Star Wars: Episode VII.

In addition to the return of these iconic characters, actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the cast. Their characters are unknown at the time of this report.

The announcement by Disney and LucasFilm featured a short statement by director J.J. Abrams, who said “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Star Wars: Episode VII will be written by Abrams and veteran Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi). Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk will produce the film. Legendary composer John Williams will return to create the score.

Star Wars: Episode VII opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.