Official Release Date a Thursday? 5/16/01

[Jedieb]

SW.Com has announced the worldwide release dates for AOTC. Canada and the U.S. are listed at May 16. I double checked my calendar and this is a Thursday. Can anyone think of why it's a Thursday and not a Wednesday? Is this a typo? Is it because the release is so early in May? I also noticed that they made a concerted effort to release it in as many countries as possible. I don't think they got TPM out in that many countries at once.

[JMK]

Just to be different? I guess the almost simultaneous release is an effort to combat bootlegging as well as letting everyone see the film at once.

[Champion of the Force]

Almost certainly to combat bootlegging.

One of my fellow university student's had a copy of TPM on CD a day before it was released in Australia and he showed it to everyone in the computer lab (I refused to watch it since I had already bought my ticket for the next days screening and didn't want to have it ruined for me).

[Champion of the Force]

Here's a list of the release dates worldwide:


United States - May 16
Canada - May 16


Europe
Austria - May 16
Belgium - May 17
Denmark - May 16
Finland - May 16
France - May 17
Germany - May 16
Greece - May 17
Holland - May 17
Iceland - May 17
Italy - May 17
Israel - May 17
Norway - May 22
Portugal - May 17
Spain - May 17
Sweden - May 16
Switzerland (in French, German and Italian) - May 16
United Kingdom - May 16


Eastern Europe
Bulgaria - May 17
Croatia - May 16
Czech / Slovakia - May 16
Estonia - May 17
Hungary - May 16
Latvia - May 16
Lithuania - May 16
Poland - May 16
Romania - May 16
Russia - May 16
Slovenia - May 16
Turkey - May 16


Middle East & Africa
Egypt - May 29
Jordan - May 16
Lebanon - May 16
South Africa - June 21
Syria - May 16
United Arab Emirates - May 16
West Africa - May 17


Asia Pacific
Australia - May 16
Hong Kong - May 16
India - July 5
Japan - July 13
Korea - July 5
Malaysia - May 16
New Zealand - May 16
Philippines - May 16
Singapore - May 16
Taiwan - May 18
Thailand - May 16


Latin America
Argentina - July 4
Aruba - May 16
Barbados - July 10
Belize - July 4
Bolivia - June 20
Brazil - July 5
Chile - July 4
Colombia - June 14
Costa Rica - June 28
Curazao - May 16
Dominican Republic - July 4
Ecuador - July 12
El Salvador - July 26
Guatemala - June 21
Honduras - June 21
Jamaica - July 10
Mexico - July 4
Nicaragua - July 11
Panama - June 21
Paraguay - July 5
Peru - July 18
Puerto Rico- May 16
Trinidad - July 10
Uruguay - July 5
Venezuela - July 3

Interestingly, we in Australia will get to see it before the US. :p

[Jedi Master Carr]

LOL your so lucky Davwj, I so wish I lived in that part of the world. I'm not sure about the 16th here maybe its because of the effort to get it released the same day everywhere that is the only thing that I can think of. Unless Lucas is trying to take the Weekend record back which would be more possible on a Thursday than a Wednesday. One thing I do find curious why does South America and parts of Africa Egypt, South Africa, and Japan, Korea, and India get it later than everybody else? I just find it odd unless there is some national thing (censor board or something like that) in those countries.

[JonathanLB]

Why are they releasing AOTC on May 16?! LOL. That is a ridiculous date to release a Star Wars film. It's first of all earlier than any other one of the films has arrived, which would be alright but it is coming on a THURSDAY?! You don't release anything on a Thursday unless it's on x-mas day or something. Talk about nonsensical.

The banner is really cool, on another subject, hehe.

I only can find one reason why you would release it on a Thursday and that is a kind of stupid reason that I doubt they had in mind, but hey you never know. Maybe they saw that last time TPM dropped from $28 million to $12 million (rounding out the decimals here) on Thursday after the opening, so this time they want Thursday to be the die-hard fan day and then the momentum is maintained for the weekend launch too. That would be a four-day figure of $100+ million quite easily I bet, new record.

[Darth23]

May 16? Where did that date come from?

I still think it will be May 15.

[Darth23]

Ok, I saw it on the Official site.

WTF?

Why would they change from the Wednesday release? And WHY pick a Thursday of all things. SO that the countries that are getting in on Friday won't
feel as bad?


I'm also wondering why so many countires hace to wait until July. You'd think they'ds have it out no more than a few weeks after the NA release. ESPECIALLY Japan - they dont' get it until July.

And WHEN did Isreal become part of Europe? :p

I predit that they'll change to Wednesday the 15 for the US - of course I'm probably wrong, but I can't beleive they'd change the Wednesday tradition.

---------------

"I only can find one reason why you would release it on a Thursday and that is a kind of stupid reason that I doubt they had in mind, but hey you never know. Maybe they saw that last time TPM dropped from $28 million to $12 million (rounding out the decimals here) on Thursday after the opening, so this time they want Thursday to be the die-hard fan day and then the momentum is maintained for the weekend launch too. That would be a four-day figure of $100+ million quite easily I bet, new record."


That's possible - but they's still be losing a big box office day. 12 million for a non holiday weekday is really impressive.

[darth_mcbain]

Those dates came off of the official site... At last - its official!!!

http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/news/2001/11/news20011112.html

[Darth23]

Official.... for now.

I think there will be some changes.

:D

[Jedi Master Carr]

They might change it Darth, especially when they learn that the aussie will be getting it before us in the states:p And I have have no clue why some countries get it later especially Japan and Brazil. South Africa could because of several reasons (there still could be restrictions I have no clue) and Egypt might have a big censoring board that will make it take longer to get it out. But Japan? They should get eariler than July.

[Jedieb]

I'm just amazed that the release dates could be that close in the first place. Aren't they going to be working on the film until late April or possibly early May? Could this be the result of LFL being AHEAD of schedule? How can they get all of those dubs done in such a short amount of time unless the film is finished ahead of schedule?


(So JMC, do you think this is the proper place for this thread? Maybe we should throw a redirect in the B.O. forum?)

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think it works here. Darth actually started one last week in the other forum which I think okay to keep up too besides it defintely has increased traffic to this forum which it defintely needs.

[imported_QuiGonJ]

Maybe it was just the effect of the "One World" campaign that made em change it, though technically because of the International Date Line, Australia gets it a day before the US.

[Champion of the Force]

Australia gets it a day before the US.
I know - myself and Mr Turbogeek will get to see it before all of you. :p

Seriously though, I wouldn't be surprised that the date was influenced by the effort to have it screened by as many countries as possible within the same timeframe.

Then again, maybe Mr. Lucas is just trying to make a point? :mischief

[Darth23]

I have a theory that they were looking at the 2001 calendar instead of the 2002 calendar, and that eventually they'll switch the opening day to a Wedneday. ;)

[Jedieb]

You might be right Darth23, 5/16 did fall on a Wed. this year. How could anyone at Lucasfilm make such a stupid mistake? More importantly, how the hell can Aussies be allowed to see AOTC before us Yanks? CURSE YOU AUSSIE BASTARDS!!!!!!!!

[darth_mcbain]

Uh, EB... You might be getting some emails from Australia... :D

[Champion of the Force]

... or a visit from a certain admin and moderator. :verymad





:p

[JMK]

Hey! Simma down now! (from the SNL sketch...)

[Jedieb]

Oh, the Aussies have thick skins, they can take a joke. SERIOUSLY though, I wouldn't mind a bit if they got it first by a few hours. I'd rather have it play out that way then have Austrailia be weeks behind the U.S. That's just not fair. I think LFL should be commended for releasing AOTC in so many countries at one time. I mean, has this EVER been done before? This shows a definite commitment to SW fans around the globe. The sad part is, some people still won't be satisfied and slam LFL for releasing AOTC in every theater in the world on May 16th. Ungrateful buggers!

[Jedi Master Carr]

I still think Japan should get it earlier and the same with Mexico it doesn't make any sense that they can't get it to those two countries before July.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Here is something brought up on theforce.net it actually is an interesting argument and might be partly why some countries aren't seeing in May.

While delighted, many of us so-called 'rest of the world' fans (i.e., not living in North America), have been wondering why we are getting AOTC within a day or two of the US (you can see the official release dates by clicking here). And North American fans have been wondering why AOTC is being released a week earlier than expected. Well, Sompeetalay from the Belgian Star Wars Fan Club may be onto something:
I was wondering if the release dates of some countries have been influenced by the World Cup football in Japan/Korea in 2002 (May 31 - June 30). As you know, football (or soccer as it is known in the US) is the most popular sport in Europe and South America. Although I like football a lot (and Belgium will be at the World Cup!), we are lucky to get Episode II one day after the US release.
Sompeetalay has a point. Countries have been known to come to a standstill when their teams are playing. In the UK, television viewing soars while cinema attendance drops. Many distributors delay their blockbuster releases and opt for romantic comedies, hoping that those not into football, a large percentage of which are female, will venture to the cinemas for an alternative.
Given that Lucasfilm decided to release AOTC earlier around the rest of the world, there was no way they could release the film in June during the World Cup, and hope to make the kind of box office a Star Wars film demands. May 22nd wouldn't have worked, as this would have given just one weekend's box office before the start of the event. And then we come to Thursday, May 16th, 2002; exactly 2 weeks before the World Cup starts on Thursday, May 30th, 2002.

So it looks like the World Cup may have contributed to the scheduling of the release dates, and done Star Wars fans the world over a HUGE favour. God bless football (soccer).

I am not sure if I agree with their argument why the rest of the world is getting to see it in May, If Lucas wanted to they would have had to wait until July then. Now I think I might know why Japan and Korea didn't get it though, the games are being played their so I guess it could be difficult to make any money so that might be why it was pushed to July. I'm not sure about South and Latin America unless it goes with this World Cup but they would have two weeks before it opens though.

[ReaperFett]

noone in South America would go to AOTC during the world cup :)





3 points:


1- The main filming was in Austrailia, they should get it first

2- Who cares? It is hardly as if you have to wait months is it? Cripes, you Americans can be so moody over such a slight wait. WE had to wait months for TPM, feel lucky!

3- Stop complaining! :)

[Jedieb]

That World Cup argument makes a lot of sense. I guess it would be the equivalent of releasing a major blockbuster the day of the Superbow. Yes, I know we're talking about Fridays and Sundays but you get my point.

[ReaperFett]

Yeah. And worse, this is for a lot more countries, with games every day at the start(HEAVEN! :))