Glen the Coaxial guy here…
Harry needs to stay away more, ‘cause whenever he’s gone, cool STAR WARS stuff happens - and I get to cover it.
As many STAR WARS fans may have heard, there is some indication that Lucas & Co. have asked theaters currently displaying STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE posters, banners, and trailers to send all that stuff back to Fox ‘round the middle of January. Why this would happen has been a source of some confusion - "Why would someone launch an ad campaign then turn around and rip it out from the public’s eye for no apparent reason?" is the question of the hour.
I’ve just come across some information which may provide some answers. According to my (Glen’s) sources, theaters sending all of their EPISODE I promotion material back to Fox in mid-January *will not* represent a reversal of THE PHANTOM MENACE’s ad campaign. Rather, it will reflect a re-alignment and re-organization of said campaign in preparation for some very special plans.
How so?
There is *some* indication (I would consider this extremely tentative) that Fox plans to re-release the Special Editions of the current STAR WARS trilogy ("A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back", "Return of the Jedi") to theaters before "The Phantom Menace" bows in May ‘99. A new EPISODE I trailer and artwork would accompany *each* film into the theater during its run. In essence: between January and May, the "frill" of each re-release would be the inclusion of new artwork and a new PHANTOM MENACE trailer along with each Special Edition re-release. Three more posters…three more trailers…then the real thing in May.
That’s what we’re hearing at the moment. My source wanted me to impress upon readers that…and I quote…"This isn’t gospel". But that’s what he’s heard through various channels, and I thought I’d pass it on to AICN readers.
