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| Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith
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Moviegoers flocked to the dark side in
droves , giving the final installment of George Lucas'
"Star Wars" tale a record-breaking midnight run.
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" raked in an estimated
$16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings Thursday, according to
box-office tracker Exhibitor
Relations.
That's double what the Oscar-winning film "The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King" took in during its midnight showings in 2003. The
third film from director Peter Jackson's trilogy rang up about $8 million
domestically from 2,100 midnight shows.
"This is extremely impressive," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of
Exhibitor Relations. "It just says so much about how excited people are to
see this film that they lined up at midnight and just got on board and
went along for the ride."
After the midnight debut, "Revenge of the Sith" widened to 3,661
theaters for daytime and evening screenings. The studio, 20th Century Fox,
said box-office results for the first full day would be available Friday.
Tickets for the film went on sale last month. Soon after, legions of
fans began lining up at theaters across the country, many dressed in full
"Star Wars" regalia and
sporting Jedi light sabers .
The final chapter in Lucas' six-film saga chronicles Anakin Skywalker's
transformation from hero to villain Darth Vader. The film may be the
darkest chapter in the "Star Wars" story, featuring more violence and a
story line showing how a democratic government turns into a despotic
regime.
"Revenge of the Sith" is the first "Star Wars" film to earn a PG-13
rating. The first five films were rated PG.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-05-20 11:09
