Out in Force

Last month, Jedi overlord George Lucas quietly announced, via his web site, that the release date for "Star Wars: Episode I" would be May 21, 1999. No surprise there --for months, Hollywood has assumed that the prequel would land around Memorial Day weekend. But intriguingly, Lucas added that the heavily anticipated film would not have the "widest possible release," but would open only in "quality" theaters. "I'm not trying to break any records," said Lucas. "I'm interested in quality presentation, and a positive group experience for everyone who comes to see this film."

That is a surprise, given the escalating release patterns for event films of late. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the prequel is a cinch to open in at least a "Godzilla"-sized 3,700 theaters. Analysts were also expecting "Episode I" to become the first film to break the magical $100 million mark its first weekend. Now, says a Twentieth Century Fox source, you can expect a more modest rollout, akin to the 2,104 theaters that ran the "Star Wars" rerelease last winter. That would allow Lucas to open the film only in houses equipped with state-of-the-art screening and sound systems. Of course, 2,000-plus theaters is no art-house opening. And, says Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, "it will break records no matter what, because they'll fill every seat. The demand for this film will far outweigh supply."