Films usually make more money at the weekends, and often on their first weekend at that. So if movie studios could bend time and wedge in a couple of extra days into the weekend, they would do. And they have.

There are two ways of doing it: by creating the special preview night, and the so-called four-day weekend. "Star Wars: Episode I" is a notable example of these ideas and also of their importance. Fans had marked the 1999 premiere date of "The Phantom Menace" on their calendars practically since 1983 but with just weeks to go and a lot of advertising already spent, the studio pulled the opening date back a day.

"Star Wars" fans would surely go whenever the film opened so it was a guaranteed early income. But there was also a thought that if most of the fans saw it on Thursday, maybe the weekend would mop up the people who were less fanatical but might be tempted to see what the fuss was about. Four-day weekends used to only happen as a kind of lucky accident when there happened to be a holiday but now it's very nearly the norm.

Even closer to being obligatory is the newer 'Special Previews Thursday' line that you hear breathlessly spoken at the end of television advertisements for a film. You wouldn't think it could make a great difference to a movie, but those special previews work: "Hannibal" made £780,000 on its special preview night.

Got to Factory Line Part 10: "Oh, Dustin Was Just Wonderful to Work With"

Factory Line Introduction
Factory Line Glossary

Sources:

"Britpack sign up for battle", Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail, 16 February 2001

"'Next Friday' Arrives During Holiday Weekend Box Office - Four-day, $17-million take tops 'Hurricane,' 'Girl'", Richard Natale, Los Angeles Times, 18 January 2000