Cape Girardeau movie theater ready for 'The Rise of Skywalker'

This weekend, the final battle commences, and Marcus Cape West Cinema is ready to welcome audiences eager to catch the final film in the franchise, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which opened Thursday night.

Theater general manager Kevin Dillon said Thursday that ticket presales have been extraordinary.

“With it being the last one, everyone wants to see how they’re going to end it,” Dillon said of the film.

Thursday night, the movie was shown on nine of the theater’s 14 screens, Dillon said — more than half the complex.

“Starting Friday, it will show on seven of our 14 screens,” Dillon said.

The prime evening shows, between 6 and 10 p.m., are selling briskly, Dillon said, “but we do still have tickets, so people can come see it. A lot of people are afraid it’s sold out, so they’re not planning to go this weekend, but with seven screens, we have seats.”

Coinciding with the release are some special drinks in the Take 5 Lounge, Dillon said, and the concession areas are fully stocked ahead of the expected crowds.

According to The Associated Press, the film was greeted with a standing ovation at its world premiere Monday night in Hollywood.

Looking ahead, Dillon said, the theater will honor its $5 Tuesday ticket sale price on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve — both on Tuesdays.

“We don’t discontinue the sale because of holidays,” Dillon said. “When it falls on a Tuesday, we honor it. It’s like an early Christmas present for folks.”