This year delivered a lot of highly-anticipated movies, but few, if any, can compare to the excitement surrounding Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Even though Disney and Lucasfilm are now delivering one Star Wars movie per year, many folks have been eager to find out what happens after The Force Awakens. Now The Last Jedi is finally playing in theaters nationwide, and if you plan on seeing it this weekend and live in the Hollywood area, you should know that you'll be seeing extra security around the premises.
According to TMZ, more than 20 extra Los Angeles Police Department officers will be deployed around some of the biggest movie theaters in Hollywood. There wills also be undercover cops stationed to keep an eye on things discreetly. Over at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, one source says that it will also bring in some private security from an outside firm, although this isn't because the theater is anticipating some kind of threat, but merely to make sure that everything moves smoothly when people are coming in to see The Last Jedi. Rest assured, though, that it isn't just theaters in the Hollywood area that are adding extra security for The Last Jedi screenings over the next couple days. At my Last Jedi screening last night, there was a guard next to the ticket taker to ensure that no one snuck into the movie. No doubt many theaters across the country are dropping money to ensure that the peace is kept, and perhaps by next weekend, things will have calmed down enough that the extra security won't be needed.
For most movies, bringing in all this extra security might be overkill, but for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it's not a crazy idea, especially in a heavily-populated area like Hollywood. These movies have been popular for decades, but since Disney theatrically relaunched the franchise in 2015, its appeal has only soared. Regardless of what you may think about each individual Star Wars movie, you can count on both longtime fans and casual moviegoers coming in flocks to check out the latest space opera adventure. And with so many people, it's appropriate to hire security to maintain order. While I'm not certain that Solo: A Star Wars Story will warrant these kinds of measures next May, I suspect Episode IX will require just as much security in 2019, if not more so considering that it's wrapping up this trilogy and will be the final chapter of the Skywalker saga.
You can find out what we thought about Star Wars: The Last Jedi by reading our review and looking through our To 3D guide. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away, and check out what movies arrive next year in our 2018 premiere guide.
