Yoda Unlikely to Clone Spidey’s Sales

“Star Wars” fans may thrill to the sight of Jedi Master Yoda engaging in an acrobatic light saber duel in George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones,” but don’t count on the film’s premiere weekend to out-duel “Spider-Man.”

Asked about the record-shattering three-day opening of “Spider-Man” two weeks ago, when the Columbia Pictures release grossed a staggering $114.8 million, Lucas downplayed any potential contest.

“I’m not a horse,” the director snapped. “I don’t do horse races. I don’t have to set records. I’m not a public company. I don’t care what Wall Street says, and I don’t have to get my stock price up.”

To begin with, there is no way “Attack of the Clones” can come close to “Spider-Man” on opening weekend because it won’t be in as many theaters. “Spider-Man” opened in 3,615 theaters. “Attack of the Clones” will open Thursday in about 3,100 theaters.

Paul Dergarabedian, who heads box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co., said Lucas is more interested in booking his film into quality theaters that can properly screen his movies than getting involved in a numbers game. He noted that when “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace” came out in May 1999, its opening weekend Friday through Sunday gross was $64.8 million in 2,970 theaters. With its two-day Wednesday head start, the five-day total was $105.7 million.

“I don’t think it was ever a strategic plan for Lucas to go after ‘Spider-Man,’” Dergarabedian said. “Any film that wants to beat ‘Spider-Man’ is going to have to, at least, be in as many theaters as that film to get the sheer number of people in there.”

Meanwhile, the unconventional Thursday opening of the new “Star Wars” has prompted newspapers to jettison their custom of running the reviews on the day the movie opens. The New York Times, for instance, ran its review Friday; the Los Angeles Times publishes its review in today’s editions.

Compiled by

Times staff writers