Thursday, March 31, 2005

The Force

Unless you've been living in a hole in the ground, you have probably heard that this summer the last installment of the Star Wars film franchise will be released in theaters. While much can be said about Episodes I and II, there is no doubt that Episode III: Revenge of the Sith will be a dark film, filled with action and drama. For those of us who were raised with Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Darth, Yoda and Leia, it will be the end of a fantastic journey. For those people who despise Star Wars for whatever reason, it will be the end of the misery - for now at least.

While reading an article today, I found the following facts regarding the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi - later renamed Edpisodes IV, V, and VI respectively) very interesting.
According to BoxOfficeMojo.com data, "Star Wars" has outgrossed all other franchises worldwide, including "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter" and the 21-film "James Bond" spy series.

(and)
Dergarabedian, of Exhibitor Relations, analyzed domestic box office receipts for the initial theatrical runs of the "Star Wars" prequels more than two decades ago. He found that, adjusted for increases in ticket prices, the early films pulled in $1.6 billion (compared to $655 million in actual dollars).

By way of comparison, the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy sold a price-adjusted $1.1 billion in tickets domestically and the "Harry Potter" trio took in $906 million.

So, by way of box office ticket sales, Star Wars is the reigning champion.
There's a reason for that popularity.
Call it a good story.
Call it good characters.
Call it good action or drama.
Call it what you will.
I'll simply call it "The Force".

No comments: