
US release: 10th March 2023
Australia release: 8th March 2023
United States release: 10th March 2023

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$0 As we approach the 25th anniversary of Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace it's time to remember the anniversary of the last trailer released before the movies release.
This was the last chance fans had to see any of the movie before they got to see it in full on its release, and get a flavour for the story and characters.
The trailer was first released in cinemas which was the normal way to see trailers back then, and the next day released online, and this movie is largely responsible for the internet being the way we consume trailers today, and its responsible for the uptick in home broadband!
The first trailer for the movie, shown in 1998, was placed in front of movies Meet Joe Black, The Waterboy and The Siege and perhaps turned them into bigger movies than they would normally have been.
This trailer played in front of the movie Wing Commander and is most likely responsible for much of the box office gross of that movie.
Its hard to understand unless you were there how much excitement there was before the release of this movie, it had been 16 years since the last Star Wars movie, Star Wars Return of the Jedi and expectation were high.
Arguable this gave away a little too much, and perhaps promised a bit too much, but the release date was for May (in America at least) and the hype machine was just ramping up.
American Hustle gives way to the big award contender 12 Years A Slave at the top of the UK box office this week.
Winning big at the weekends Golden Globe awards will help 12 Years a Slave retain the top spot next week, but this week it's the highest new film at the top with £2.5 million. American Hustle slips to two with £2 million.
This time last year Les Miserable took over at the top of the box office with The Hobbit sliding right down to number 4.
Five years ago comedy film Role Models hit the top in it's first week of release with Yes Man sliding to 5. A big week of releases with Slumdog Millionaire at 2, Bride Wars at 3 and Defiance at 4.
Ten years ago The Return of the King was still holding out at the top with Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai highest new film at 2.
Ten years ago Star Trek Insurrection was still at the top with The Siege entering at 3.
Can you believe that it's ten years today (November 18th) since the first teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode 1 was shown in the cinema for the first time? The internet was still in its infancy, as was DVD and staggered cinema releases were still a big thing for blockbuster film releases.
The event was huge and well hyped and although the trailer was released onto the internet few people had a fast enough internet connection at home to really download the trailer or steam it in a watchable fashion so American audiences really did to get to see it ahead of the rest of the world.
I was working at the time for a well known internet company and had access to a fast T1 connection and I remember waiting patiently that afternoon to download the trailer and watch it on the tiny 14 inch monitor I used to work with, I wanted to wait and see it on the big screen, but I couldn't wait until the new year to see this new Star Wars footage.
In the US the trailer was attached to a number of films at the time, two being The Waterboy and The Siege and the teaser can probably account for much of those films total gross. These days people choose to watch trailers on the internet and you rarely, if ever get people walking out of a screening once the trailers are over.
Was the trailer any good, my god was the trailer good, in fact the trailer as it turned out was better than the film itself. After seeing the trailer I got straight on the phone to a friend of mine who lives in California and arranged to fly to the US the following May so we could go and see the movie the night of release, which I did.
Did you get goose bumps down your spine the first time you saw the trailer? Was it one of the most exciting things you had seen since the trailer for The Return of the Jedi? Let us know you thought on the trailer and what you think 10 years later.
Just to refresh your memory here is the original Star Wars Episode 1 teaser trailer.