A fresh announcement from Lucasfilm on Sunday has brought much joy to fans of the Star Wars franchise. Lucasfilm, owned by media giant The Walt Disney Company DIS, said that a new trailer would be released for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh installment in the Star Wars series of films. The trailer premiered during Monday night’s football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants on ESPN, which is also owned by Disney.
The Year’s Most Awaited Release
Lucasfilm also said in its statement that advance ticket sales for the film began on Monday. A fresh poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was also uploaded on the official Twitter account of Star Wars. In addition, fresh teaser clips were released.
Disney’s unparalleled marketing ability has ensured that The Force Awakens is the most awaited release of the year — the movie’s trailers were viewed an unprecedented number of times.
Star Wars is returning to theatres after a decade. The Force Awakens picks up 30 years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. As the iconic space saga is 40 years old, the current generation might not be aware of the cult status it achieved. Hence, the company has resorted to aggressive marketing.
From word of mouth to digital releases of all the earlier movies, as well as launching associated merchandise and incorporating the Star Wars universe in the latest version of its video game Disney Infinity 3.0, Disney is leaving no stone unturned to generate massive pre-release publicity for the film.
Movie Theatres to Gain
The release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Dec 18 will be a fitting end to a spectacular year for Disney. Analysts had estimated that The Force Awakens will earn over $650–$700 million domestically while global collections are likely to range between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion.
Disney has entered into a tie up with IMAX Corporation IMAX to release The Force Awakens, on all IMAX screens across North America for a four week-long period, from the time of its release on Dec 18. Moreover, most of the overseas IMAX locations will be screening The Force Awakens for a month.
Given the buzz surrounding the film, movie theatres are looking to ride on its success. This is why several important chains have begun promotional deals following the announcement of advance ticket sales. Theatres of Regal Entertainment Group RGC have already begun one such deal. The first 500 patrons to purchase IMAX tickets on every Saturday starting Dec 19 to Jan 9 will get a special ticket which will feature unique art from the film. Every week, new artwork for the tickets will be revealed.
Similarly, guests who purchase a ticket from theatres of AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. AMC on every Sunday from Dec 20 to Jan 10 will receive an exclusive Star Wars print. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. CNK will be offering fans of the franchise exclusive RealD 3D Star Wars Glasses. These can be secured by viewing the first show of the film in Cinemark XD or purchasing a special concession combo which will be offered from November.
In Conclusion
Theatres are looking to make strong gains from what could be the year’s most successful movie release. Disney’s efforts to promote The Force Awakens and additional marketing from theatre chains themselves are efforts to achieve this goal. Fans had flooded online ticketing portals following the release of the new trailer and this level of enthusiasm is likely to continue.
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