'Star Wars' fan granted wish to see 'The Force Awakens' early

Earlier this week, a terminally ill man’s dying wish to see The Force Awakens before its Dec. 18 release date went viral on social media and picked up support from some of the film’s stars.

The man, 32-year-old Daniel Fleetwood, has been diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a connective tissue cancer, and doesn’t expect to live to see the film in theaters. He’s been a fan of Star Wars since he was a little kid.

As the story went viral, the hashtag #ForceforDaniel implored Disney to allow Fleetwood a special early screening, and stars Mark Hamill, John Boyega, and Peter Mayhew all retweeted their support.

The Force came through for Fleetwood: On Thursday, his wife, Ashley, announced on Facebook that Disney had granted Daniel’s wish and allowed him to see an unedited version of the film.

Ashley expresses deep gratitude for all the people who campaigned for Daniel to be allowed to see The Force Awakens and also thanks J.J. Abrams, the film’s director, who, she reveals, called the couple personally to let them know that Daniel would get his wish.

“May the force be with you all,” she writes.