“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” will have its hands full this weekend at the box office.
“Tropic Thunder” will lure away millions of comedy fans, and the still formidable Bat sequel “The Dark Knight” isn’t slowing down as much as expected.
But even if the competition wasn’t so stiff, it’s unsure just how well the CGI “Star Wars” prequel would perform.
So I asked Gitesh Pandya, the sharp mind behind BoxOfficeGuru.com, how he sees the weekend playing out. He also shared his predictions for the franchise’s future.
WWTW: What kind of numbers will “The Clone Wars” draw this weekend? Is there excitement building for this film that in any ways mirrors what greeted the previous “Star Wars” movies?
GP: I think “The Clone Wars” will open in the high teens or low 20s this weekend. It’s a completely different situation compared to the old “Star Wars” movies and won’t get anywhere near those levels.
WWTW: Has the perceived quality dip of the three “Star Wars” prequels impacted the franchise in a significant way?
GP: I think diehard “Star Wars” fans are still interested in new stories, but this film and the new cartoon series in the fall will only appeal to a subset of the overall fan base. Young kids will probably like it a lot.
WWTW: What do you predict regarding the possible re-release of all six “Star Wars” films in 3-D, as George Lucas has discussed? Will people care?
GP: A 3-D release could do fantastic business if done properly. Fans would look at that as an event and would come out like they did for the re-releases in 1997 which were huge box-office hits.
(Photo: Yoda gets animated during “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)
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