Star Wars launched its official Instagram account by posting a selfie of Darth Vader.
A tweet told followers to subscribe to the Instagram page, saying: “It is useless to resist.”
Two behind the scenes pictures from previous films have also been posted.
Star Wars: Episode VII will begin shooting at Pinewood Studios early next year ahead of an expected 2015 release.
The Star Wars Instagram account had gained around 60,000 followers within 12 hours after posting the first image.
Disney is holding open auditions for the new film, which have been taking place around Britain.
The most recent feature-length Star Wars, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, was released in 2005.
