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‘Star Wars’ fans are playing hooky to celebrate ‘The Force Awakens’ premiere

Have these fans discovered the peak way to see Star Wars on opening day?

 

Aja Romano

Internet Culture

Posted on Dec 17, 2015   Updated on May 27, 2021, 11:54 am CDT

It’s not every day you get to see the Force awaken. And plenty of folks in the U.K. and the U.S. are making the most of it by treating Star Wars premiere day like a regular holiday—complete with a full day off work.

https://twitter.com/Groovy_Glen/status/677276267348029440

Lucky fans in the U.K. got to flood movie theaters last night for The Force Awakens‘ British release—and took Wednesday and Thursday off work to celebrate it. The official release date in the U.S. isn’t until Friday, but many theaters are showing it as early as 7pm Thursday. (Some lucky press members saw it already—and loved it!)

If you’re one of the many fans headed to the theater tonight, then sure, you could work your regular hours beforehand. Or you could do what these fans are doing.

It’s fun to see so many fans coming out of the woodwork and treating the movie like it’s Christmas come early—because in many ways, it is.

In fact, some fans have their whole day mapped out:

We can answer that question: It’s totally OK.

After all, for many Star Wars fans, the continuation of one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises in history is the most important event of the year. And for younger fans who’ve never had the chance to see a Star Wars movie in theaters before (and older fans who never thought they’d have this opportunity again), the excitement of getting to witness the first showing with a packed house truly is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Just remember—while these fans are making the most of the moment, it’s OK if you can’t get the time off or don’t see the movie until after opening weekend. 

The only “right” way to see Star Wars is the one that makes you happy.

Illustration by Max Fleishman

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*First Published: Dec 17, 2015, 2:22 pm CST