Star Wars: The Force Awakens grossed $936.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.132 billion in other countries for a worldwide total of $2.068 billion. Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold close to 110 million tickets in North America, the most tickets sold by any film in North America since Titanic in 1997. The Force Awakens earned 8.6% of the total 2015 releases in North America, second only to the 8.8% of the box office earned by Titanic in 1997. The film is the highest-grossing film of 2015, the highest-grossing film in the franchise (surpassing The Phantom Menace), the highest-grossing film released by Walt Disney Studios, the highest-grossing film in North America (dethroning Avatar), and the third-highest-grossing film of all time. It was the 24th film in cinematic history to gross $1 billion worldwide, standing as the fastest film to surpass the mark, doing so in 12 days. It was also the third film in history to surpass $2 billion worldwide, doing so on its 53rd day of release. Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $780.1 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the most profitable film of 2015 and the most profitable film in the last seven years.

Star Wars creator George Lucas discussed ideas for a sequel trilogy several times after the conclusion of the original trilogy, but denied any intent to make it. In October 2012, he sold his production company Lucasfilm, and with it the Star Wars franchise, to The Walt Disney Company. Speaking alongside Lucasfilm's new President, Kathleen Kennedy, Lucas said: "I always said I wasn't going to do any more and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more."

On February 5, the fiftieth day of release, The Force Awakens became the first film to earn over $900 million, unadjusted for inflation, in the United States and Canada. On the following day, it became the third film in cinematic history to pass $2 billion in ticket sales worldwide (after Titanic and Avatar) and the second in original release (after Avatar). It became the third film to earn over $600 million in Europe. In North America and the United Kingdom and Ireland, it fell outside of the top ten for the first time in its eleventh weekend during the weekend February 26–28, 2016, and in the U.S. it did not achieve $1 million in ticket sales for the first time in its fourteenth weekend.

On December 11, 2014, Abrams and Kennedy released a series of eight mock Topps trading cards revealing the names of several characters. On April 16, 2015, a second teaser trailer, this one lasting two minutes, was shown at the opening panel at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said the reaction to the trailer was "staggering… the entire room of almost eight thousand people just leapt to their feet and roared, I mean I can't think of anything I've ever been to – other than a rock concert – that felt quite like that". The trailer was viewed over 88 million times within the first 24 hours of release, breaking the record. According to the Guinness World Records, the second teaser trailer amassed 30.65 million in 24 hours, setting a new world record for the "most viewed movie trailer on YouTube in 24 hours". The event was broadcast live by Verizon on YouTube, StarWars.com and in movie theaters. The trailer shows many of the new characters and the first footage of Chewbacca and Han Solo. The Huffington Post's Graham Milne wrote that the trailer "was an affirmation of something that we'd long been told was never going to happen. This was a gift. This was faith rewarded. About damn time."

In addition to several awards and nominations, The Force Awakens appeared on various critics' lists of the ten best films of 2015.

The film received five Academy Award nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects. The film garnered four nominations at the 69th British Academy Film Awards for Best Original Music, Best Sound, and Best Production Design, including two wins, one for Best Special Visual Effects and a BAFTA Rising Star Award for John Boyega. It was nominated for Best Picture at the 2016 Critics' Choice Awards. The film received seven Visual Effects Society Awards nominations, winning four, including Outstanding Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture. It received the most nominations at the 21st Empire Awards, including Best Film, Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film, Best Director for J.J. Abrams, Best Male Newcomer for John Boyega, and Best Female Newcomer for Daisy Ridley. It became the most nominated film in Saturn Award history with a total of 13 nominations at the 42nd Saturn Awards, where it won in eight categories, including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Writing, Best Actor for Ford, Best Supporting Actor for Driver, Best Music, Best Special Effects, Best Editing, and Best Make-Up.

Rian Johnson confirmed in August 2014 that he would direct Episode VIII, later titled The Last Jedi. It was released on December 15, 2017. Some second-unit filming took place in September 2015 in Ireland, with principal photography beginning in February 2016 at Pinewood Studios. Hamill, Fisher, Driver, Ridley, Boyega, Isaac, Serkis, Nyong'o, Gleeson, Daniels, Christie, Vee, and Suotamo reprised their roles in the film, and are joined by Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro.

Episode IX is scheduled for release on December 20, 2019. Abrams will direct the film and co-write it with Chris Terrio.