Theatres may ‘force’ Star Wars fans to ditch lightsabers, toys

CTV Vancouver: Restrictions for Star Wars fans Canada's biggest theatre company is warning Star Wars fans about special restrictions for showings of The Force Awakens.

In Star Wars, lightsabers are described as “an elegant weapon for a more civilized age” – but in dark movie theatres, they‘re also tripping hazards.

That’s why Cineplex is urging mega-fans to consider leaving their lighsabers and other toys at home when The Force Awakens, the hotly-anticipated seventh film in the Star Wars saga, opens later this month.

“If you do bring them, they have to be small because they have to be able to sit on your lap for the whole time,” said Pat Marshall, vice-president of communications for Cineplex Entertainment.

“We just want to make sure people don’t trip and fall or catch themselves on toys, so they can’t be lying in the aisle.”

Fans are still welcome to wear costumes, Marshall added, but only if they don’t include masks. That means movie-goers may see Darth Vader, the fearsome Sith lord, being asked to go put his helmet in the car.

The concern with masks, as with lightsabers and toys on the floor, is preventable mishaps.

“So many people can’t actually see through a mask that there’s a trip and fall hazard,” Marshall said. “We just want to make sure everybody has a great, safe, fun environment when they come.”

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is expected to be one of the top-grossing movies of all time, and Cineplex said demand is already setting records more than two weeks before the release date.

Marshall said the company hasn’t “experienced this kind of advanced ticket sales, ever.”

The film opens on Dec. 18, with several mostly sold-out premiere screenings being held the night before. Some Craigslist sellers, apparently having fallen to the dark side, are selling tickets to those Dec. 17 showings for up to $100 a piece in Metro Vancouver.