Fulfilled, the prophecy is. What prophecy could Yoda be referring to? Why, the prophecy of profit, my padawans.
Last Thursday, in a galaxy not so far away, Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, distributed by News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox division -- took in nearly $17 million (according to The Hollywood Reporter) in domestic grosses from the eager throngs who wanted to be among the first to see the conclusion to George Lucas's new trilogy. Friday's estimated total tally showed a haul of approximately $50 million more (according to boxofficemojo.com), a single-day record. Sith completed its four-day debut timeframe (Thursday through Sunday) with a gross of approximately $158 million, setting another new record. Adding in the international exhibitions, the movie is believed to have already taken in over $300 million. If you're going to end something, this is the way to do it -- big. (These weekend estimates will be finalized later.)
Malaise at the multiplexes has been a constant theme as of late, and many media observers predicted that, like Obi-Wan Kenobi was for Princess Leia, Sith was Hollywood's only hope. I'd be willing to wager that the movie will indeed get moviegoers in the mood to spend much of the next few months in darkened screening rooms at malls across America.
Granted, as some have pointed out, it'll depend on how people click with the slate that follows Lucas's crowning achievement. Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paramount studios has War of the Worlds waiting in the wings, while Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) is betting on Batman Begins (and looking forward to a new Superman adventure in 2006). General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal is reanimating a genre that just won't die with zombiemeister George Romero's Land of the Dead.DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) is going wild with Madagascar, while Disney (NYSE: DIS) hopes Lindsay Lohan will drive away with tweens' dollars in Herbie: Fully Loaded. Qualitatively speaking, I think these films have a great chance of building on Sith's momentum; companies like Regal Entertainment may be able to avoid the short sellers.
Stakeholders of Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick Marvel Enterprises (NYSE: MVL) might benefit most from Sith's conquest of the box office. Though News Corp. probably won't see much of a boost in its stock because of its distribution deal with Lucasfilm, Fox attached to every Sith print a trailer for the Fantastic Four movie that it's making with Marvel, thereby exposing a legion of moviegoers to this very important asset. If the trailer made Darth Vader fans feel that they need a Fantastic fix, Marvel could win big when its film opens in early July.
Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith is our last hope to enjoy a George Lucas blockbuster sequel. What's that, Yoda? There is another? Oh, you mean IndianaJones 4? Yeah, I'm waiting for that one, too. Note to George: Do. or do not. There is no try.
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Fool contributor Steven Mallas owns shares of Disney, General Electric, and Marvel Enterprises. He has completed the Game Boy Advance title based on Revenge of the Sith. The Fool has a disclosure policy.
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