By Borys Kit and Gregg Goldstein
LOS ANGELES (Hollywoood Reporter) -
Angry "Star Wars" fans,
aggrieved about editing changes to an upcoming Weinstein Co.
comedy inspired by the sci-fi franchise, picketed theaters
playing the studio's latest film, with both sides claiming some
sort of victory.
Protesters, organized by a fan group calling itself the
501st, showed up in "Star Wars" gear on Friday at AMC Theatres
in New York and Los Angeles that were playing "Superhero
Movie."
They want to draw attention to the fate of "Fanboys," about
four diehard "Star Wars" fans who break into George Lucas'
Skywalker Ranch in order to see "The Phantom Menace" on the eve
of its release. The film was originally set for the release
last August, but a cancer storyline worried Weinstein, which
shot a second version of the film. Fans were outraged.
Weinstein said last week that it will release the two
versions on DVD, and a studio source later said that is
exploring two theatrical versions. The announcement did nothing
to satisfy the fans, who vowed to proceed with their picket of
"Superhero Movie."
But the exact number of fans who donned "Star Wars" gear
differs depending on which side is talking.
The 501st claims 14 members showed up in New York, but an
AMC spokesperson said there was no protest, and a Weinstein
source cited a YouTube video posted Friday night showing one
protester saying no one else was there. The video has since
been removed by the user.
The group also claimed more than 20 showed up at AMC's
theaters in L.A.'s Century City district, but an AMC rep said
this was limited to one person in a Darth Vader costume on the
street outside the theater. A Weinstein source said eight
protesters did appear, and were taken out for pizza by one of
the filmmakers.
"We've been working on this movie for many years and if
someone is going to take time out of their personal life and
support our film, whatever that support may be, at the very
least what we can do is say thank you and buy them a couple of
slices of pizza for caring about this project as much as we
do," "Fanboys" producer Matthew Perniciaro said.
"They seemed to take the term 'phantom menace' to a whole
different level. I guess they weren't that organized.
Apparently getting Star Wars fans to give up their Friday night
isn't as easy as it looks," one source said.
Organizers learned quickly that it's all about location,
location, location. For Los Angeles, the group chose a mall in
Century City rather than a public area. Malls are private
property and AMC and Weinstein Co. personnel were able to shut
down protesters, visibly identifiable in "Star Wars" costumes
or geekwear such as a Green Lantern T-shirt, almost as soon as
they stepped foot into the outdoor mall.
"Guards were everywhere," said one protester, who declined
to be identified. "At one point, I counted nine, no joke. They
hired a whole force and whenever someone showed up looking
around for the protest, they were surrounded by guards and told
to leave instantly or be arrested. I guess you can't really
hold a protest on private property."
The 501st claimed victory by pointing to "Superhero
Movie's" dismal performance at the boxoffice.
"We're really not too concerned with how many people did or
didn't show up at the protests," said the group. "'Star Wars'
fans showed their support for 'Fanboys' by not showing up at
theaters all over the country. Our primary goal was to make
sure that that 'Superhero Movie' tanked on its opening
weekend."
The movie mustered up a gross of only $9.5 million despite
several predictions of a $14-milion-$19 million bow.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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