Anticipation for Star Wars: Episode I

Consider these points...

Prior to the movie's opening:

• Two short trailers were released and played to fans in sold out theaters (the Star Wars website posted the date that the two trailers would be released, and allowed you to search for specific theaters in which the trailer would be shown). In many cases, theaters reported that after the trailer played, many in the audience got up and left, having paid their admission for the sole purpose of seeing the trailer, without any interest in seeing the feature film that followed. While most movie fans enjoy seeing a trailer for an anticipated movie, for how many films do fans find out in advance exactly when and where a trailer for an expected film will be shown, and head out to theaters for the express purposes of seeing that trailer?
  
• Industry analysts are expecting a HUGE turnout for the opening of these films, even though that opening will occur in the middle of the week, and will include many fans missing work, school, and other scheduled obligations. The original "Counting Down to Star Wars" fan website posted an excerpt from the Sunday, April 4 edition of the Detroit Free Press (this was posted by a fan, so I can't judge the validity of the excerpt). The article states that the opening of the prequel might possibly cause the "most widespread planned absenteeism in United States history" due to people calling in sick so they can see Phantom Menace on the first day." The article goes on to claim: "Industry analysts describe Phantom Menace as perhaps the most highly anticipated film in motion picture history." Statistics quoted: "Based on special research of government data, it is estimated that 2.2 million full-time employees could skip work to see the movie on opening day, costing employers $293 million in lost wages."
  
• There has been a HUGE amount of traffic at official and fan-created websites related to Star Wars. According to Apple Computers, who worked with Lucasfilm to present the second trailer on the web using its new QuickTime 3 format, there were "over 1,000,000 d/ls of the trailer in the first 24 hours, coupled with 600,000 d/ls of QuickTime 3." These trailers were 13-25 Megabytes in size... A several hour download for fans without a direct Internet connection, cable modem, or equivalent high speed technology.
  
• Feature coverage has been found not only in entertainment related magazines and TV programs, but on news shows and such magazines as Vanity Fair and Vogue (These two presented Star Wars features on the magazine cover!). 60 Minutes recently had a full half hour of the show devoted to the new movie and with a sharp look into Lucas' private life.
  
• Star Wars merchandise was some of the hottest selling stuff at Christmas time. I watched small children drag their parents toward the newly released "Phantom Menace" toys at Christmas... most of them couldn't possibly have been born when Return of the Jedi was released. How do they know??!!
  
• When they were released in 1997, the "Special Edition" versions of the original films were released to huge crowds of old Star Wars veterans and a new generation of young fans who got "hooked" by watching the videos. Every showing that I attended had been sold out by the time I arrived at the theater (I purchased my tickets in advance, including those for each opening day show). Shows were sold out even though the films opened in wide release (they played in several large theaters just in Manhattan) and even though the Ziegfeld theater I attended holds over 1300 moviegoers. There is a great trend now toward restoring and re-releasing old classic films so that fans may experience them fresh and refreshed in theaters on a large screen (Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, Gone with the Wind, etc.) But I don't believe any of these well known films opened in such wide release, or generated as much excitement or as large a crowd, or to such a diverse crowd or fans as I saw in line for the Star Wars re-releases. I was at the same theater, the Ziegfeld, for an evening show opening day when the restored version of Vertigo was released. I  had no problem getting a ticket at the box office since the show was not sold out, and I don't remember seeing any younger folk there; certainly not a lot of them.
  
• Lucasfilm is working out agreements with the theater chains to prevent advanced ticket sales during the first two weeks that the new film plays. They are doing this to try to avoid ticket scalping, and to give all fans a fairer shot at getting tickets to the early shows without favoring those with credit cards and web access (i.e. having the shows completely sold out through Moviefone and Movielink). Does anyone think that ticket scalping was an issue when Titanic opened?

During the wait for the movie opening:

• Hordes of people lined up when advance tickets went on sale one week prior to the movies opening. The MovieFone service (777-FILM) quickly crashed in response to the vast number of people calling in to try to get tickets, despite a reported 30% increase in systems installed to handle the expected volume. The associated moviefone website also crashed, and was down for several days.
  
• At the Ziegfeld theater in Manhattan, where I purchased my tickets for opening day, people arrived at the box office several days before the tickets went on sale to hold a continuous vigil (This was independent of the people waiting with the "countingdown.com" group, of which I was a member... see below) . The line was already halfway down the block to the corner and around that corner early the night before. Tickets officially went on sale at 3:00 in the afternoon, but during the morning of the day tickets went on sale the line quickly grew to the next corner and completely down the full, long block between 8th and 7th Avenue. The ticket office reportedly was open until 4:00 am the following morning, selling tickets to the long line of fans. Every major news station was in attendance to cover the event.
  
• A few weeks before the movie opened, fans lined up in front of major toy stores at midnight to be the first to buy the newly released Phantom Menace toys officially released on that date. FAO Schwartz in Manhattan featured a major display dedicated to the official release of these toys (see photos on my NYLineup photo page!), creating a mini mob of fans just blocks away from our official NYLineup at the Ziegfeld!
  
• News coverage of fans waiting for the movie hit from every local, national, and worldwide avenue that exists, including feature stories on television news, cable shows, radio, newspaper, magazines and webcasts in the United States and in many countries worldwide. Many amateur and professional crews were also on hand making documentaries of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
  
• On opening day, in addition to the above mentioned media coverage, many national entertainment crews were on hand, including a large contingent from the Sci-Fi cable channel, giving out food and prizes and adding to the circus-like atmosphere of the event. There were hordes of people, despite the rain, with literally all day coverage of the events leading to the midnight premiere.
  
• Many, many fans traveled to the United States from countries all over the world specifically to see the premiere without having to wait the months before the movie would be released in their home countries. Many had arranged for tickets to be procured for them in advance, but some had scheduled week-long vacations so that they would be able to wait in line for tickets along with American fans. I befriended people from many countries during my wait, finding a common bond in our love and appreciation of Star Wars. Several fans from Sweden who had come in on opening day approached me for information amidst the mob and confusion during the final stretch of our long wait... they had sought me out as a "friendly face" who might be able to point them in the right direction as they has recognized me from my "appearance" on a Swedish television station weeks prior the opening. I guess I am now an "international star!" Eat your heart out, Zsa Zsa! Click here to see a scan of a Dutch newspaper containing a story about our lineup in NYC... the photo is of the sign that I made to mark our place in front of the theater in Manhattan! And here is a page from the online version of the German magazine Der Spiegel. To the right of the 4th picture down (of the Toys-R-Us store) you will find my interview, expertly translated into fluent German. At least I can recognize that I am, in fact, a resident of New Jersey. Locally, a large photo of me appeared along with a story in the NY newspaper The Village Voice.
  
• With all the natural fan anticipation and media coverage preceding this opening, Lucasfilm required virtually no formal advertising of this film! The two trailers were released in theaters to great fan reaction, and several short television commercials appeared very close to the films opening day. Tie-ins with national sponsors (Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Pepsi) served to promote the coming of this film. But literally all the media hype and excitement came from fans and news coverage, with news and reactions coming from word-of-mouth and details gleaned from websites. The complete fan and media induced frenzy surrounding this movie was a natural by product of the deep anticipation held by fans for the Star Wars movies. While Lucasfilm was able to wisely "steer" this anticipation by releasing the trailers, toys, and tickets on choice dates, and by granting interviews and news items appropriately, the huge outpouring of excitement for Episode I was not something falsely orchestrated by PR executives at Lucasfilm!
  
• George Lucas donated prerelease copies of the film to charities in major cities for the purpose of benefit showings the weekend before the movie's public release date. Tickets were reportedly sold for upwards of $500 each, yet large theaters nationwide quickly sold out the charity events. Rosie O'Donnell held probably the foremost charitable event in Chicago, selling packages that included tickets to the movie and a benefit dinner for $25,000 each.

Aside from the various examples of commotion and excitement sited above concerned with fulfilling the ravenous desires of Star Wars fans here and around the world for the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I, if I were forced to give one outstanding piece of evidence that this movie was, by far, the most anticipated movie release of all time, it would have to be this:

• While the movie's official release date was on May 19, 1999, fans began to organize and line up around the country as early as the beginning of April. Fans in California waited on line continuously for more than a month to see the first show when it premiered at midnight on May 19th. You can find pictures and video of them on the web in their chairs, tents, and sleeping bags. Groups all over the country followed suit, forming organized lines, with fans waiting in shifts to ensure seats for that opening day event (the line for the Ziegfeld theater in Manhattan started on May 1st; after negotiations with the theater had been finalized by the local "CountingDown" group). Stay tuned for news concerning "Lining Up" for Episode II when it is released in 2002!
  
  The overseeing group at "countingdown.com" that organized this national event worked out a deal with the Starlight Foundation (benefiting terminally and seriously ill children) where line-waiters signed up sponsors for their time in line and collected donations which will go to the foundation. But believe me, most of the people in line were there to see the movie, and to bond with others who shared their passion for Star Wars.