'Star Wars' premiere: Fans to bring 'Force'; book your ticket now

As befits a movie gunning to be the Biggest Ever, Monday's Hollywood premiere of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is shaping up to be bigger than big. In UAE 'Star War' faithfuls will storm the theaters on Dec 17. Pre-booking of tickets has been going on for some time now and several screens in different cinemas seems to be sold out. The theatres are gearing up for the big release and have been hosting games, quizzes and giving away prizes in the wake of the much-awaited premiere. Elsewhere the scene is not much different - crews on Friday shut down Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to La Brea Boulevard and began erecting a giant tent that appeared like it might stretch almost that distance. The space is being prepared to accommodate a giant party that will follow the 6:30 p.m. debut of the seventh installment in the space opera. But this will not be just a standard showing at the TCL Chinese or El Capitan Theater. Instead, Disney has hired out both of those storied theaters and the adjacent Dolby Theater, sources say, to make room for a super-sized crowd of special invitees. Security and crowd control will also be at Academy Award levels, with 50 uniformed officers patrolling the four-block stretch and the surrounding area, according to an LAPD official. By comparison, the premiere of ‘The Hateful Eight’ a week prior at the Hollywood's Arclight Cinerama Dome drew just four uniformed L.A. officers. The company had to obtain a permit from L.A.'s Bureau of Street Services to close down the heavily-trafficked boulevard. It will pay for the cost of the extra police presence, as well, a city official said. Three days prior to the kickoff, squads of fan boys and fan girls already dotted Hollywood Boulevard, particularly in front of the Chinese Theater. Many were there not just in anticipation of Monday night's parade of stars but already waiting for the first public showings of "The Force Awakens," which begin Thursday, Dec. 17. Even with most early tickets now purchased online, the 'Star Wars' acolytes insisted on arriving early, to commune with their fellow space travelers. Some of the fans on Friday made Jedi robes, while others knitted chain mail armor. Caroline Ritter and Andrew Porters of Australia looked forward to their Dec 17 'Star Wars'-themed wedding, planned for the TCL Chinese's famous forecourt. A Darth Vader character was scheduled to walk Ritter down the aisle, with a Storm Trooper honor guard looking on. As with all things 'Star Wars,' there will be brand tie-ins: Baskin-Robbins will present a themed wedding cake, while Dunkin Donuts hosts pre-ceremony coffee and donuts. Disney officials have been almost entirely mum about Monday's extravagant opening, needing little extra promotional pop for a film that is the most anticipated in recent memory. Some pundits believe the film, also known as 'Episode VII,' will eventually become the biggest box office winner in history, topping 'Avatar's,' nearly $2.8 billion. Fans eager to read the first reviews of 'The Force Awakens' will have to wait until Wednesday when the official embargo lifts at 12:01 a.m. PST.