Star Wars fans Kevin and Lucia Rogers are not normally ones to dress up for movie screenings, but tomorrow's premiere of the latest instalment in the cult series called for a special effort.
The much-anticipated seventh film Star Wars: The Force Awakens will premiere in New Zealand cinemas at 12.01am tomorrow.
Mr Rogers said the couple were long-time fans but would be attending their first premiere tomorrow.
The opportunity to don their replica Obi-Wan Kenobi and Stormtrooper costumes was too good to pass up, he said.
"We've slowly gathered the stuff together and we thought 'Let's do it'.
"There were never going to be another three [films] after the first three. That came as a bit of a surprise.
"I'm glad Disney took it on and decided this story can continue.''
Mr and Mrs Rogers agreed the first film, released in 1977, was the best.
Director George Lucas had "broken the mould'' at the time and the film had captured the imagination of people when movies were being threatened by the introduction of videos, he said.
"It was a dream, a chance for us to explore the science fiction world and the science fantasy world.
"What I like about it most is you've got good and bad, you've got knights and damsels in distress, you've got the bits and pieces you need for a good, ripping yarn.''
The film premiered in Los Angeles yesterday and will premiere in New Zealand and Australia tomorrow.
Mr and Mrs Rogers will be attending a 9pm screening.
Rialto Cinemas Dunedin duty manager Mike Dillon said theatres were expected to be sold out tomorrow morning.
The cinema had allocated four theatres for the 12.01am screening with a total of almost 800 seats, and expected to fill all of them.
Reading Cinemas Dunedin said it had sold out six theatres for the midnight screening, while Reading Cinemas Queenstown had allocated all three of its theatres for the midnight screening and had one ticket left last night.
Moviegoers in Britain and the United States had been told not to bring masks or imitation firearms to cinemas in light of recent terrorist attacks, but local theatres said no restrictions were in place here.
