ReaperFett
Nov 15th, 2001, 04:50:18 AM
This is from TF.N:
World Cup Influences AOTC Release Dates?
Wed, Nov 14, 01 11:35:08 PM EST
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 love football even more now :)
World Cup Influences AOTC Release Dates?
Wed, Nov 14, 01 11:35:08 PM EST
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 love football even more now :)