MEDIA UPDATE: The Force is Strong With SITH

MEDIA UPDATE: The Force is Strong With SITH

Final STAR WARS Movie Breaks Advance Ticketing Records on Fandango

LOS ANGELES, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- With less than two weeks to go before the May 19 opening of STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH, Fandango, the nation's largest online and phone movie ticketing service, reports that SITH is projected to be the top-selling title in the company's five-year history. The film is well-positioned to dethrone Fandango's current ticketing champ, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING. Other recent news includes:

* SITH has seen a 75% week-over-week increase in ticket sales on Fandango.

* SITH has accounted for 79% of Fandango's weekly ticket sales (as of May 6, 10:00 a.m. PT).

* 80% of film fans responding to a Fandango poll said they plan to see SITH during its opening weekend (May 19-22).

* It's the most anticipated film of the summer, according to 70% of film fans responding to an online poll at Fandango.com.

* SITH is Fandango's fastest-selling movie to date (at this point in a film's sales cycle -- nearly two weeks before opening weekend).

* Moviegoer anticipation is so high that the company is already selling advance SITH tickets online for a theater that hasn't even opened yet.

"The force is strong with this one," says Fandango President and CEO Art Levitt. "The final installment of the STAR WARS saga is clearly attracting not only the long-time fans, but also mainstream ticket-buyers throughout the country. Based on our advance sales, SITH will likely enjoy one of the largest opening weekends in box office history."

Moviegoers can now purchase advance SITH tickets online at www.fandango.com, while tickets via 1-800-FANDANGO will go on sale on May 16.

About Fandango

Fandango, the nation's largest online and phone movie ticketing service, sells tickets to approximately 1,100 theaters and 12,500 screens (nearly 70 percent of theaters in the U.S. enabled for remote ticketing) and to four out of the five largest U.S. theater chains. Fandango's convenient service lets moviegoers quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and buy tickets in advance on www.fandango.com and at 1-800-FANDANGO. Fandango sells tickets to more theaters than all of its competitors combined and is the exclusive ticketing service for the largest North American exhibitors: Carmike Theatres, Century Theatres, Edwards Theatres, Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Regal Cinemas and United Artists Theatres, as well as to Brenden Theatres, CineArts, Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Crown Theatres, Eastern Federal Theatres, Kerasotes Theatres, Magic Johnson, Majestic Crest Theatre, R/C Theatres, Signature Theatres, Star Theatres and Wallace Theaters. Fandango allows customers to bypass the box office with in-theater ticket pick-up kiosks and Print at Home ticketing, and offers the "gift of the movies," Fandango Bucks, and an e-mail invitation tool, Evite Friends.

Source: Fandango

CONTACT: Harry Medved of Fandango, Inc., +1-310-451-7690, ext. 112, harry.medved@fandango.com

Web site: http://www.fandango.com/

------- Profile: Ent