One of the most anticipated events of the year is approaching and it does not involve mistletoe.
In two weeks, the movie Star Wars VII: the Force Awakens will be released in theaters to the delight of fans worldwide. Having already sold millions of tickets in presale, the film promises to have a huge box office draw.
“I think the trailers are very carefully appealing to all the demographics, both in terms of age and in terms of economics,” said professor of film studies, Dr. Sid Sondergard.
Remarking that the films leads were John Boyega, who is black, and Daisy Ridley, a white woman, Dr. Sondergard commented that it was obvious the films were going to be more inclusive then previous films in the series.
The film’s diversity is just one of the things Technical Support and Hardware Specialist Zach Laramay is excited for.
A Star Wars fan since he was a kid, Laramay hopes The Force Awakens will be an improvement from the most recent three films, which he saw in theaters and was disappointed by.
Laramay has already bought his ticket to see The Force Awakens on opening day, and says that he thinks the film is going to break box office records.
The number to beat is $2,787,965,087, which is the worldwide box office record set by the film “Avatar” in 2009.
Forbes contributor, Mark Hughes projected The Force Awakening opening with a $210 million in addition to box office weekend, and gave the film a shot to break the worldwide box office record. In order to do this, however, the movie needs to reach moviegoers who are not already Star Wars fans. Anna Brouillette ’17 is one of the people that marketing executives for “The Force Awakens” have yet to reach. Brouillette explained that she was not a fan of Star Wars, and has not seen any of the movies, Anna does not plan on seeing The Force Awakens when it releases. Other students, however, do plan on going.
“Either on Facebook or in stores Star Wars just everywhere,” says Marina Nadeau ’18. Although she has a few reservations about the movie, she plans on seeing it in theaters.
While the practical effects they are using in The Force Awakens has made Joseph Kellogg ’18 optimistic about the movie. He said it is good to see someone other than Star Wars creator George Lucas taking over the franchise.
“The franchises previously developed fan base will help the movie succeed,” Dr. Sondergard said. “But the new characters and wider demographic will help it have even greater success in the future.”