SCOOP: Where and when you'll see the EPISODE III trailer!

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Source: Name withheld

According to one of our oldest, must trusted sources, the wait is finally almost over. They have told us that the long-awaited teaser trailer for STAR WARS, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH will be playing on theater screens come Friday, November 5 -- but that plans are afoot for the trailer to run at least one day beforehand...and on television.

Our source has informed us that the STAR WARS trailer will be "placed" with THE INCREDIBLES, the new Disney/Pixar animated film also being released on 11/5. However, just because the EPISODE III may be shipped with the film cans of THE INCREDIBLES or suggested to play in front of that film doesn't necessarily mean that every theater screen will show the SITH trailer before THE INCREDIBLES. "Due to the kind of length for an animated film, two hours (with Boundin' short) running time and the IMMENSE number of studios vying to get placement on the film, expect some exhibitors to not play it with INCREDIBLES, though most should, if not on all screens of the film," our source told us last evening.

Furthermore, while our source could confirm the plans for releasing the EPISODE III trailer by November 5, the shipping title of the trailer and any posters and banners has not become known as of yet. Companies usually ship this kind of promotional material for highly anticipated movies under codenames to deflect any potential theft of the goods by those looking to make a quick buck using the buzz of the film.

We were also told that there is a plan to have the world premiere of the EPISODE III trailer the evening before it begins playing in theaters on the Thursday, November 4 showing of Access Hollywood, the syndicated entertainment television news program. We have not been able to confirm this news with a representative of AH but again, our source tells us that the promotion of said event should be happening very shortly, if it hasn't already begun.

Whether the EPISODE III trailer would be ready for online downloading around the same time as its debut on Access Hollywood or the next day remains unknown. Our source hazards a guess: "Typically studios break 'world premiere' agreements with media outlets like ET and Access Hollywood if they do online debuts, so it's likely it will be simultaneous to the first televised airings at best." That also makes sense to us.

Finally, does the trailer description scooped last week by TheForce.net sound like what we'll get to see next month? "The summary of it that appeared on theforce.net is legit from what I've been told," writes our man on the inside. "As to the purported teaser poster image they posted, it was an abandoned concept photo, though I'm told the actual image is in the same vein."


[Our very special thanks to a dear friend. We're very glad that you were off-planet when Alderaan got smucked.]


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