fter strolling down the Hollywood red carpet Monday decked out as an A-wing pilot, Columbus resident Chris Graburn got to see the heavily publicized “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” with the movie’s cast.
And he offered this non-spoiler of a reaction: “For me, it checked all the boxes.”
There you have it, wild and wonderful Warsies, the pet name used online for franchise fans.
Graburn, a 14-year member of the international 501st Legion, a fan organization linked to the Star Wars universe, was invited by Lucasfilm Ltd. to the premiere in California. On Saturday, he’ll appear as Chewbacca at the Indiana State Museum’s IMAX Theatre showing of the film in Indianapolis.
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Other local members of the 501st group are expected to appear in costume at various venues in the days ahead. And at Columbus’ YES Cinema on Thursday, staffers were distributing future movie passes among some costumed characters to one sold-out crowd and a near-sellout (at deadline) contingent at another showing.
But Ron Adams, the senior manager at YES, mentioned that the rise of fandom, if you will, seems slightly different than for “The Rise of Skywalker,” the final film in what is called the Skywalker saga, than for other “Star Wars” releases, such as “The Last Jedi” in 2017.
“My impression is that it’s a little bit less (crazy) for this one,” Adams said.
The premise, according to promotional material: A year after the events of “The Last Jedi,” the remnants of the Resistance face the First Order once again –while reckoning with the past and their own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax.
Adams saw the initial “Star Wars” in 1977 at Indianapolis’ now-gone — and then sold-out — Eastwood Theatre and became a fan. Columbus resident Mark Dooley saw that first film at the same venue expecting very little after being disappointed with the “Star Wars” comics.
“I thought it might be done in the flavor of the Godzilla movies,” Dooley said. “But afterward, I was absolutely hooked. I thought it was the greatest movie I had ever seen in my life.”
He thought that so strongly that he saw it 23 times in theaters that summer alone. He now finds the franchise’s endurance so lasting for a simple reason.
“It definitely has heart,” Dooley said. “Now, don’t get me wrong. I hated the prequels.”
Dooley likes the fact that the newest film contains unused footage of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia to help complete the story. Fisher died in 2016 before filming was complete. Dooley met her very briefly at Comic Con Indianapolis in 2015.
As always, the movie’s craze has stretched far beyond theaters. Locally, Donut Central is catering to the sweet success of the franchise’s 42-year history with Star Wars doughnuts, including those in the likeness of Chewbacca and Yoda.
Staff expects such sweet treats to fly out of the store faster than the Millennium Falcon has sped through the galaxy.
“We love to do these special events — ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and others,” said Andrew Brunni, marketing director. “The response our customers have to these are fantastic and humbling. Demand this time for ‘Star Wars’ is even higher than in the past.”
