Speculation as to when opening night (not the special super-preview at select cities) tix for TFA will be sold be fandango?

Does anyone know how early you will be able to go online for tix to the regular opening night (the 18th) for TFA? considering this will be the biggest movie for the Christmas season (at least, if not months) does anyone know if places like fandango might allow tix to go on sale even earlier than normal? I'm not even sure what the standard time is for online tix to go on sale before a movie, maybe a week before?

Those of us who hate spoilers absolutely must go to the first possible show (besides the obvious reason of being obsessed with SW) to avoid hearing spoilers from countless sources. (Online news sound-bite outlets such as yahoo news, overhearing people talking, radio, etc.)

I suspect securing tix for the first show will be a bit of a challenge.

I've been wondering about this too. The trend for blockbusters in these parts recently has been a sneak 7:00 pm showing before the proper midnight opening (this is how I saw Jurassic World). That would be ideal for me, but I'm not sure if Lucasfilm can block that, or even if they would want to. In any case, it's been years since I actually needed to get tickets for an opening more than a few hours in advance (I think the last time was The Dark Knight back in '08), but I don't want to take any chances with this one. Not a very helpful post, I guess, but I'm curious too.

joefavs said:

 it's been years since I actually needed to get tickets for an opening more than a few hours in advance (I think the last time was The Dark Knight back in '08), but I don't want to take any chances with this one. 

Not a movie, but a couple years ago I pre-ordered tickets to the Doctor Who 50th which showed in a few theaters. Sold out in a couple of minutes. Other than that, not sure that I ever did.

I think I signed up for an alert from Fandango about TFA, but the site does nothing to confirm that the request was sent, so who knows. If I don't see it on opening night, but later that weekend, that's fine. I'll just live without internet for a couple days.

Man, people sure love to speculate about all sorts of things.

towne32 said:

joefavs said:

 it's been years since I actually needed to get tickets for an opening more than a few hours in advance (I think the last time was The Dark Knight back in '08), but I don't want to take any chances with this one. 

Not a movie, but a couple years ago I pre-ordered tickets to the Doctor Who 50th which showed in a few theaters. Sold out in a couple of minutes. Other than that, not sure that I ever did.

I think I signed up for an alert from Fandango about TFA, but the site does nothing to confirm that the request was sent, so who knows. If I don't see it on opening night, but later that weekend, that's fine. I'll just live without internet for a couple days.

Well, that's the real trick isn't it?

The studios don't make it any easier, either. As far back as Return of the King in '03 I can remember spoiler-laden tv spots running pretty much the moment a movie had started playing in theaters. I remember that particular example because my roommate at the time went to go see RotK with his brother at the midnight premiere and I caught a commercial with Aragorn charging the orcs at the gates of Mordor and, IIRC, Frodo's "now at the end of all things" line to Sam.

It's been a noticeable trend with these big event movies ever since.

In response to the OP, a recent article at makingstarwars said that tickets will likely go on sale sometime between late September and mid October.

May I ask what the "special super-preview at select cities" in the thread title is referring to?

towne32 said:

joefavs said:

 it's been years since I actually needed to get tickets for an opening more than a few hours in advance (I think the last time was The Dark Knight back in '08), but I don't want to take any chances with this one. 

Not a movie, but a couple years ago I pre-ordered tickets to the Doctor Who 50th which showed in a few theaters. Sold out in a couple of minutes. Other than that, not sure that I ever did.

I think I signed up for an alert from Fandango about TFA, but the site does nothing to confirm that the request was sent, so who knows. If I don't see it on opening night, but later that weekend, that's fine. I'll just live without internet for a couple days.

 Hmmm, good info ..... the whole "alert" thing. I'll have to check out fandango again to see if I can sign up for that. I suppose it's also worth inquiring directly with humans at the local cinema as well. It's "possible" that they could be selling tickets the same day as fandango, or maybe even earlier.

wow- tix could go on sale that early?! (late sept. or oct.) I guess we best keep our ears open and start investigating even more.

Yes, the person who sent in the scoop to makingstarwars said he heard that from two different theater managers.

Fang Zei said:

Yes, the person who sent in the scoop to makingstarwars said he heard that from two different theater managers.

 I actually read this as well, from a couple different sources, when I google'd it last night. I also signed up for the fandango alert thing, so "hopefully" they will actually alert people when the tix go on sale.

No the only thing to decide- should I see the standard film or the 3D version? I generally prefer the standard- although with this one I'm not sure what to do.

doubleofive said:

The director would prefer 2D, but also shot in IMAX, so he wants you to see it in IMAX, but the only IMAX showings are in 3D, so you can't do it right.

So its entirely up to you.

I was looking for a concise way to sum it up, but that'll do nicely!

All I'll add is that there could, theoretically, be 2D Imax screenings.

JawsTDS said:

What I'm curious to know is when people will prefer to see it? I was considering the usual 7pm "sneak preview" on the 17th, but I want to see it with a crowd as well. Which does better - the day before or opening night?

 I think any of the very early showings of this film will have a crowd and line up and people in costumes and all. But you've gotten my hopes up for the idea of not only seeing it at 7pm on a Thursday, but seeing it without all the madness of fans. :P

Remember how TPM was originally scheduled for a Friday but Lucasfilm pushed it up two days so that they could get the fans out of the way ahead of the weekend?

I remember going to a 5/6 o'clock screening that wednesday and it definitely wasn't sold out. The line waiting for the 7/8 o'clock as I was leaving was a different story, though.

For TFA, I would want to see the very first screening, if only because I hate waiting and spoilers. That's what I did for Age of Ultron. 7 o'clock the Thursday night before and it wasn't even sold out, maybe half full. I feel like the whole early Thursday night thing still isn't very well known, even though it's basically become standard practice for the big blockbusters now. People hear Friday, they think Friday.

towne32 said:

JawsTDS said:

What I'm curious to know is when people will prefer to see it? I was considering the usual 7pm "sneak preview" on the 17th, but I want to see it with a crowd as well. Which does better - the day before or opening night?

 I think any of the very early showings of this film will have a crowd and line up and people in costumes and all. But you've gotten my hopes up for the idea of not only seeing it at 7pm on a Thursday, but seeing it without all the madness of fans. :P

 That's half the fun of it, when there's people in line in costume and all! If my local theater actually shows it around 7pm as a sneak preview, I will definitely try to get tix for that one. (I know this is gonna be the type of scenario where tix sell out in 5 mins or so!)

I'll be at the first showing and it'll be 2D. That's the crowd that will be most into it. I'll see it in 3D IMAX later.

doubleofive said:

The director would prefer 2D, but also shot in IMAX, so he wants you to see it in IMAX, but the only IMAX showings are in 3D, so you can't do it right.

So its entirely up to you.

 OH NO ITS UP TO ME WERE ALL DOOMED

Looks like October 19? http://clubjade.net/?p=65553

joefavs said:

Looks like October 19? http://clubjade.net/?p=65553

 Hmmm, good to know- it's the first actual specific day we've heard so far.

Anyone know if smaller theaters that don't do online ticketing are likely to start selling tickets this week? Neither of the two theaters closest to me are available on Fandango, and I'm wondering if I'll still be able to snag tickets for those immediately or if I should plan on going elsewhere and driving a bit longer come December. It's extremely important to me that I get to that first 7:00 pm showing on the 17th and I'd like to lock it down ASAP.

Why is it so important?

I've got nebulous travel plans soon after, not sure if I'll be around for the opening weekend proper and I'll be damned if I have to wait a week.

joefavs said:

I'll be damned if I have to wait a week.

 I remember when movies were the most important thing in my life too. :p