Rowans Hospice in Hampshire, England, took to Twitter on Tuesday to make the plea on behalf of one of its patients, saying "time is not on his side" for mid-December, when the movie is scheduled to be released in the UK. The appeal met with strong support on social media, with the likes of Mark Hamill — Luke Skywalker himself — wishing the hospice "good luck" with its request. Bob Iger, Disney's Chairman and CEO, tweeted on Thursday that the company would allow the patient a preview: "On this Thanksgiving, we at @Disney are grateful to be able to share #TheRiseOfSkywalker with a patient and his family @RowansHospice. May the force be with you and with us all!" In a statement from Rowans Hospice, Lisa Davies, the health care support worker who passed the patient's wish on to other staff members, said she was "utterly speechless."

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