A MOVIE FORCE RETURNS: FANS GEAR UP FOR TODAY'S RELEASE OF PHANTOM MENACE BOOKS, TOYS

It's not just any old book. It has, well, a force inside.

Today marks opening day of sales for the novelization of the Star Wars movie, "The Phantom Menace."

The book provides insight into a movie kept closely under wraps by creator George Lucas. It is based on the screenplay and story written by Lucas.

Cape Girardeau bookstores are bracing for brisk sales. They expect to be jammed by local Star Wars fanatics who are counting the days -- 16 to be exact -- until the movie opens.

Waldenbooks will open at 6 a.m. -- four hours early. Barnes and Nobel expects a big crowd as well, especially because four different book jackets might boost sales even higher.

Today also marks the premiere for hundreds of Phantom Menace toys. Both Toys R Us and Kay-Bee Toys expect long lines after a special opening at midnight.

Just as the movie will feature more high-tech effects so will the toys. Even 3-inch action figures come with a chip that allows them to speak such familiar lines as: "May the Force be with you."

Local Star Wars enthusiasts say the hype is understandable. After all, it's been 16 years since the release of a Star Wars film and anticipation for the new film has been building for years.

The fans

Jason Buterin, 23, of Cape Girardeau is part of a generation fascinated with Star Wars. Many Generation X-ers, those between 20 and 30, are fervent in their devotion to the trilogy.

"We're the Star Wars generation. We can quote almost any line from the movie," he said. "I remember many nights of my childhood spent eating dry cereal, making light saber noises, and running back and forth to the kitchen for more sugar-flavored Kool-Aid, the whole time keeping at least one eye religiously glued to the television."

The timeless heroes of Star Wars provided role models for many modern-day youth. Buterin found the stories -- part fantasy and legend -- both mystifying and compelling.

"I still get swept up in the stories," he said.

Over the years, Buterin wore out four or five copies of the early videos of the three films: "Star Wars" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "The Return of the Jedi" (1983).

The first Star Wars trilogy began in the middle with Episodes three, four and five of a nine-part story. Fans hope the book and movies will provide long-awaited answers.

"I hope the movie helps us understand why Darth Vader went over to the dark side," said Chris Oth, 23, of Cape Girardeau, another big Star Wars fan, "and why it was so hard for Luke to get him to come back."

He has an extensive collection of Star Wars action figures and plans to add the new characters from "The Phantom Menace."

"I grew up on it," he said. "The movies just don't get old."

The book

Pre-sales at Barnes and Nobel already indicate the popularity of the new book, said Ken Young, an assistant manager at the Cape Girardeau store.

"The book was written by Terry Brooks, who is a big fantasy writer on his own," said Young, himself a Stars Wars fan.

Young remembers when the novelized version of "The Empire Strikes Back" was published.

"I said, 'I won't read the book before the movie,' but of course I did. I'm going to try to hold off this time, and not fall to the dark side," he joked.

The book features four different covers: the young Obi-Wan Kenobi; the new villain from the dark side, Darth Maul; child Anakin Skywalker, who later becomes Darth Vader; and Queen Amidala. It's hard to tell in advance which of the covers will be the most sought-after, he said.

Waldenbooks in the West Park Mall will open with a large android display. "The whole district is opening early," said Maureen Stranahan, manager. "We've never done it before and I've worked for the company for a long time."

While most of the inquiries have been from young people, Stranahan said the movie and books have a much wider appeal.

A number of other Star Books, for kids and adults, will also hit the stands today.

"I plan to just stand back and marvel at it all," said Stranahan.

The toys

Toys R Us and Kay-Bee Toys braced for long lines at the special 12:01 openings today.

On Saturday, Marc Edwards, one of the managers at Toys R Us, looked at the rows and rows of boxes filled with Phantom Menace toys and displays. One box includes a 5-foot-high replica of a Naboo fighter that will hang overhead. Later this year, it will be raffled off.

"We have everything from swoosh balls to spin pops and anything else you can think of," he said. "The majority of what we have is action figures." There are more than 200 different toys debuting today.

Sandra Suhre, another Toys R Us, manager, said the store expected lots of collectors and 20- to 40-year-olds for the midnight rush. But the school kids won't be forgotten. Starting at 3 this afternoon, the store will hand out premiere certificates to the first 100 kids 12 and under.

Some of the Star Wars displays will remain up through Christmas.

At midnight, Toys R Us kicked off the opening with a mock saber battle on the roof and fireworks. The store will begin a daily trivia contest today.

The movie

Kevin Dillon, manager at Cape West 14 Cine, finds himself caught in the middle between exuberant fans and some of the most stringent studio regulations ever.

Across the country, fans have begun lining up in front of movie theaters to be the first in the door. While no one has lined up here, Dillon has already talked with many fans.

"I've talked to people who plan to buy tickets for every show the first day," he said.

Advance ticket sales will go on sale May 12. The movie doesn't open until Wednesday, May 19. The first Cape Girardeau show will begin at 12:01 a.m.

"This movie has had more rules and stipulations attached than any I have ever seen in my 15 years here," Dillon said.

For example, no group sales are allowed the first week. The most tickets an individual can buy is 12. No discounts or passes may be used. The movie must be in multiple screens with the best sound equipment. The list goes on and on.

The studio was even strict with promotional materials.

"There were three preview trailers and we had to send the first ones back before we could get the new ones," Dillon said. "That's unheard of."

He expects the movie will rival "Titanic" as the longest running movie here. It ran 29 weeks. Two other movies tied for the next longest: "Aladdin" and "Top Gun," with 26 weeks. A movie's stay is based strictly on local ticket sales, he said.

May the force be with you

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace opens May 19. Just as the original Star Wars, it opens the Wednesday before the Memorial Day weekend, which is known in the industry as George Lucas Day.

Cost of the new movie: a whopping $115 million. Compare that to the cost of the original Star Wars: about $9 million.

The Phantom Menace is a "prequel." It is actually the first episode in a series of nine in the Star Wars story. It is set 30 years before the start of the original Star Wars, which is Episode Four. Creator George Lucas has plans to complete Episode Two and Three next.

It has been 16 years since a new Star Wars movie opened on the big screen. The original Star Wars: A New Hope debuted in 1977; The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and The Return of the Jedi in 1983.

The three Star Wars movies rank high in the Top Grossing Movies of All Time at the Worldwide Box Office, according to the Internet Movie Database. Star Wars ranks 4th with $780 million. The Empire Strikes Back ranks 11th with $533.8 million. Return of the Jedi ranks 20th with $470 million. Many industry experts predict this new film will rival the top grossing movie Titanic, which took in $1.8 billion worldwide.