Star Wars fans and aspiring actors and actresses have flooded the streets of Bristol today (9 Nov.) as the first open audition for the first instalment of the Star Wars reboot got underway today (9 Nov.). As initially reported, Bristol will be the first stop off for casting directors attached to the new Star Wars film, who are hoping that they can tap into some unrealised talent to find the film's stars.

Star Wars
Mark Hamill was cast as Luke Skywalker through open auditions

Disney bosses are looking to cast the male and female leads for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII and are hoping to find their stars in the UK by holing open auditions across the British Isles over the course of November. The film's bosses are looking to find a "street smart" actress over 16-years-old to fill the female lead and a "smart capable" man over 18 to fill in the main male role, with both parts expected to be filled by attractive and athletic individuals.

"At its peak, the queue was of about 4,500 people," Paul Carroll, a security officer at Pinewoods Studios brought in to help with the auditions, told the Bristol Post during today's auditions. "Some people were even queuing here last night and we had a few camping out. Only around the first 2,500 though will be seen as we had to close the queue this morning. It's all been very good humoured, despite the weather."

JJ Abrams explains why he's looking to the UK for the Star Wars cast

The open auditions are set to continue in Bristol until Sunday, 10 November, before moving to Manchester and then Glasgow on 16 and 17 November and then to Dublin on 23 November. The open auditions will end in London on 24 November, by which point the lead roles will hopefully be decided on. Hopefuls from as far as the USA and Sweden flocked into Bristol for the auditions today, with many others expected to fly in to the country as the auditions continue.

Filming for the Jj Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode VII is expected to get underway at Pinewood Studios in spring 2014 and just this week, Disney announced that the film will be released on 18 December 2015.

BBC local news presenters dress as a Stormtrooper and Boba Fett ahead of open auditions