Business | MarketsDisney's value surges by $2 billion after Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer release Old friends: Han Solo and Chewbacca return in the new Star Wars trailerHazel Sheffield17 April 2015The trailer for the next instalment of the Star Wars film saga has inflated Disney's market value by $2 billion (£1.3 billion).The 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' trailer was released at 10 am PST (6pm GMT) sending shares in Disney - which bought the rights to the franchise as part of its $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012 - up 1% to $108.30.They settled a few cents above $107 in after hours trade.The share move is an indication of excitement among investors over Star Wars, a relatively new acquisition for Disney that now looks to be a savvy one by chief executive Bob Iger.The trailer was launched at the Anaheim Convention Centre in California by JJ Abrams, the director of the film, with help from special guests.Read MoreNew Star Wars trailer: Fans given sneak peak of The Force AwakensStar Wars Episode VIII to be released in May 2017 as spin-off movie is named Rogue OneDisney lands £32 million tax credit as it plans to film next Avengers in the UKThe film sees Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford return as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, as well as fresh faces Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie.Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in cinemas on 18 December, 2015.
