Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s world premiere date shows how spoiler-averse Disney is being while handling the film. Though director J.J. Abrams believes Star Wars 9’s marketing isn’t secretive, the studio has most definitely run another one of their patented measured promotional campaigns, keeping plenty of details close to the chest. Even though only three weeks remain until the film hits theaters, fans still barely have any idea what the general story is about - yet alone whatever twists and turns Abrams has up his sleeve.

That approach, while frustrating for some, is intentional to preserve the movie’s biggest revelations until it’s time for audiences to see it. And now that post-production on The Rise of Skywalker is complete, the only thing that remains (other than the in-progress press tour) is releasing the film to the world. Fans are very eager to know if Abrams and company stuck the landing, and now they know when they’ll be able to expect the first wave of reactions.

In their report covering Rise of Skywalker’s latest box office projections, Deadline notes the film’s world premiere is Monday, December 16 in Hollywood, just four days prior to its theatrical debut. In comparison, The Force Awakens premiere took place on December 14, 2015 (four days before it opened in theaters) and The Last Jedi premiered on December 9, 2017 (nearly a week before its theatrical debut).

That Disney is following the Force Awakens playbook with regards to The Rise of Skywalker’s world premiere date most likely stems from their desire to keep the narrative under wraps for as long as possible. There are a great many things that remain hidden from the general public, including exactly how Emperor Palpatine returns to the fold, the truth behind the much-buzzed about Dark Rey shot, and much more. Once The Rise of Skywalker starts screening, the floodgates will be open, and there’s only so much even Disney can do to prevent things from leaking online. Much like the official marketing materials, there’s a deliberate strategy at play here, with the studio holding onto the movie for as long as possible.

Not that a Star Wars movie needs more awareness, but the Rise of Skywalker premiere will (ideally) be beneficial for the film. There’ll undoubtedly be much excitement surrounding the event, particularly in the social media responses after the show. A case can be made The Rise of Skywalker’s commercial prospects could use a boost, as evidenced by the latest opening weekend projections (which are lower than The Last Jedi). Word-of-mouth can be a huge factor in how the box office plays out, and if reactions are positive and enthusiastic, that’ll likely increase the already high levels of demand. Hopefully, The Rise of Skywalker closes the saga out on a high note and satisfies fans around the globe.

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Source: Deadline

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