Much like The Force Awakens and Rogue One before it, the Mouse House has confirmed plans to launch Star Wars: The Last Jedi into UK theaters on December 14th, one day before its release in the States.
First reported by Radio Times, the announcement means those across the pond will have the chance to catch Rian Johnson’s long-anticipated blockbuster a full 24 hours earlier than those in North America. As a matter of fact, assuming Disney adheres to a similar release plan as that of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the UK will welcome The Last Jedi into theaters on the same day that Johnson’s sequel releases in select European countries and other PAL territories.
Heck, countries like Italy and France received J.J. Abrams’ franchise revival on December 15th – two days earlier than its eventual launch in the United States. For what it’s worth, The Force Awakens then touched down in China on January 9th of 2016, and considering that said country accounted for $124 million of the film’s box office total two years ago, expect a similarly quick turnaround between The Last Jedi‘s domestic launch and its debut in China.
Alas, after engineering two box office success stories in The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it’s small wonder why Disney wants to adhere to tradition. If nothing else, it’s a preemptive warning that Star Wars fans in the United States will likely have to stay clear of social media and other online channels to mitigate the chances of encountering spoilers. Thankfully, it’s only a 24-hour window between The Last Jedi‘s UK and U.S. due dates – providing France and/or Italy don’t get the sequel earlier still – but it’s probably best to avoid Twitter like the plague lest you ruin the surprise(s).
It’s official: Star Wars: The Last Jedi touches down in the UK on December 14th, before Rian Johnson’s tentpole makes its way across the pond in time for December 15th.
