Two weeks prior to its wide release opening, Saturday sneaks are suddenly available for Ratatouille (click here and enter your zip to see if it's playing in your area). We were able to catch it the other day, and it's definitely another animated wonder from Pixar. It was fun getting an early look at the film, and this Saturday night, many more will be the first on your block to see the movie ahead of its June 29 opening.
Ratatouille’s not the only one to make the jump. Last week, Paramount/DreamWorks announced that Transformers would be released a day earlier than its original July 4th release, with late-night screenings planned for Monday, July 2nd (click here).
Back in the good 'ole days of, oh, say, 1999, the return of the Star Wars series, Episode I - The Phantom Menace, pulled in an ‘astonishing $7.5 million’ from midnight screenings. By comparison, this summer’s Pirates 3, grossed a record $17 million for its earlier screenings (including 8pm shows) on more screens.
The pre-release tradition used to be (literally) a long-standing ritual where those brave enough to take on the crowds would huddle together for hours, maybe even days before, to catch that one midnight show. Nightly news reports would inevitably include uber fans dressed up as Han Solo and Bobba Fett camped out in front of theaters for four months, biting at the chomp to be the first in seats.
Now, it's more of an online scavenger hunt, or as Disney trumpets in its advertising campaign, “the first inline is online.” Word hits the press (i.e.,the Internet) that advance sales are now on sale for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: An IMAX 3D Experience, and then it’s a game of 'who can find the right zip code, day and date fast enough.'
Who knows if these movies will be any good? Well, you will, and before anyone else, if you see it at the right time.
Thoughts on the upcoming Rataoutille, Transformers, and Harry Potter Let us know!
