Analysts, fans, critics and commentators have been wondering and wondering over the last few months how significant the impact of STAR WARS – THE FORCE AWAKENS would be – and the initial results are in.
It is bigger than big.
The film has broken all records and exceeded expectations with grossing over $250 million in the US on it’s opening weekend, achieving §120 million in advance ticket sales and smashing SKYFALL’s UK opening. Midnight screenings in the UK accounted for about 2m GBP of the take.
Having seen the film, the movie is deserving of it’s position as a top attraction. Given the hype and expectation from fans and industry insiders, the film relaxes the most cynical of fans and helps people come to terms with a new generation of movies.
It’s not the first time it’s happened. Gene Roddenberry was relieved of creative duties on the STAR TREK sequel, THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) when producer Harve Bennett took over and made a film for a fraction of the cost that STAR TREK – THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) was. That said, THE MOTION PICTURE established the look.
What is refreshing is that fans are showing respect for others by not revealing anything of the film (me included) because of their desire to enjoy the film on their own terms. It appears that in recent years, the cinema-going experience is returning to a pre-smartphone immersion. The BFI South Bank bans phones from it’s screenings and at a screening on Sunday 20th December of DIE HARD in 70mm, a staff member came on stage and demanded that no phones be on during the film. Frightfest have had that policy in place for years.
THE FORCE AWAKENS has released at a time when the world is uncertain, given recent tragedies in Paris for example. The original film was conceived as a way of making young people realize their potential and living their lives in a positive way. More than ever, the message of good triumphing over evil and letting your imagination inspiration run wild are good things to have. Irrespective of your age, THE FORCE AWAKENS is the perfect entertainment – and I for one cannot wait for not only EPISODE VIII, which begins shooting in January 2016, but also ROGUE ONE, with Felicity Jones (the story chronicles the Rebels attempt to steal the plans for the DEATH STAR in A NEW HOPE), and the LEGO MOVIE teams’ take on the HAN SOLO prequel. Thousands of actors between the age of 25 and 32 are auditioning at present.
It’s not the first time Han Solo has taken centre stage. Around the time of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, two novelizations involving the likable rogue, HAN SOLO AT STAR’S END and HAN SOLO’S REVENGE, were published and there have been countless publications in novel form of STAR WARS adventures by the likes of Timothy Zahn, who led the way with his HEIR TO THE EMPIRE series.
Lucas stated in 2005 that the STAR WARS story was the Darth Vader story, but he did promise a third trilogy in 1980. INDIANA JONES did get four  original films which ended in 2008 with KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, although a possible reboot is on the way.
