- April 18, 2024
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Justin Bowser and Alan Pruitt were psyched about the movie's opening (Photo by Emily Blackwood).
Star Bernard and her son, Garth Bernard, were decked out in their "Star Wars" gear (Photo by Emily Blackwood).
Jessica May, Geo Marz and Sara Bartos were one of the first people in line for the "Star Wars" opening (Photo by Emily Blackwood).
Geo Marz is a sworn imperial.
A "Star Wars" fan since he was a kid, Marz made sure he wouldn't miss the opening night of the "The Force Awakens," the latest episode in the beloved franchise. He was at the front of the line at the Regal Ormond Beach Cinema 12 theatre.
"I was born in 1968, so I was 9 years old when the original came out," Marz said. "I grew up with 'Star Wars.'"
Best friends Sara Bartos and Jessica May saved their seats way in advance.
"I bought my tickets as soon as you could," said Bartos who had been at the theatre since 4:30 p.m. "I got them right before Fandango crashed. I've loved 'Star Wars' since I was a kid. My parents are kind of nerds."
May, though still a fan, was pulled into the hype by Bartos.
"She likes 'Star Wars,'" May laughed.
"I got her into it," Bartos said. "I'm really obsessed. I have the Jedi Order Symbol tattooed on my hip. I'm obsessed."
According to USA Today, Goldman Sachs predicts the film to haul in $1.95 billion of global box office dollars — including $750 million in the U.S. and $1.2 billion in international markets.
"I watched it when I was 5 years old, maybe younger. I remember seeing my parents watch it on tv. It was probably first movie I remember seeing." — Justin Bowser, "Star Wars" fan
However that still puts "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at No. 3, behind "Titanic's" $3.6 billion and "Avatar's" $2.9 billion, according to Goldman Sachs citing data from Box Office Mojo.
No matter what the end result may be in dollar signs, for Ormond Beach fans to relive their sci-fi nostalgia in a whole new way, the experience is priceless.
"When I saw 'Revenge of the Sith,' I knew I needed another 'Star Wars' movie," Bartos said. "So this whole decade I've been waiting for my 'Star Wars' movie."
