Holding Pattern

In November of last year, I posted the trailer for the film Fanboys-a comedy that uses the opening of Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace, in 1999, as its backdrop.

It tells the story of four friends, who, in 1998 decide to travel cross-country from Ohio to Northern California's Skywalker Ranch, where they hatch an elaborate plan to steal a print of the flick to fulfill the last wish of a dying friend. Starring Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel and Kristen Bell, the film was originally slated for a February 2007 release--and then--that was pushed back 'till April...And then the release was re-scheduled for August...

Director Kyle Newman recently explained to Patrick Lee of SCI FI Wire that the Star Wars-themed film is being delayed, yet again, until January of '08 so that he can shoot several new scenes.
"There's a dream sequence that we're going to put in, which is new," Newman said in an interview at the recent Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles over Memorial Day weekend.

"And I'm rethinking the first, like, three minutes of the movie ... so it's not all set in the one location. It's kind of, the information we're getting at the outset is spread over a couple of scenes. ... It's a little less exposition, a little more comedic. ... It's the Halloween party that we might be changing some parts of. ... Opening it up just a little more."

The movie has been pushed back to Jan. 18, 2008.

"We don't get the actors back until September," he said. "We were trying to get it done in April... And it's just, everyone's schedules, to get them back together, it's been difficult. So we missed our window in April, and now we can't get them until September."

The cast and crew unveiled a lot of never-before-seen footage of the film at the Celebration IV convention, which received a warm reception from Star Wars fans ...

Newman was philosophical about the winter opening date. "It's obviously less competitive, I think, than August," he said. "But I would have loved, ... personally, as a fan, for the movie to be out in ... sometime close to right now. I mean, now is like, it's the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, and this is like ... my gift back to the fans, all of ours. We love Star Wars. I would have loved for it to be there, but if it makes sense for their business model to release it in January, then I have to put faith in what they do, and go with it."

Every time I see footage from Fanboys--I laugh out loud--whether I have seen it before or not. Hopefully all of these release date pushes and content changes will only make it a better film overall and worth the extra long wait.