In a galaxy far, far away, there are probably extraterrestrials laughing at how seriously Earthlings are taking the opening of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
But that couldn't possibly curb New Yorkers' enthusiasm as they flocked to theaters around the city to see the first movie in a third "Star Wars" trilogy Thursday night into Friday morning.
They took countless pictures of their ticket stubs, used more than their fair share of "Star Wars" emoji and made myriad pledges to share no spoilers.
There was a consensus that the first screening appealed to more than just the diehard "Star Wars" fans
As expected, there were plenty of moviegoers in costume
But some theaters had stricter policies about outfits and props, so committed fans found workarounds for that
and happily commuted in costume
The lines were loooong, the theaters packed
If you were smart, you got your seats early
And if you were truly committed to seeing "Star Wars" early, you didn't mind losing sleep over it
Because watching "The Force Awakens" reawakened the kid in you