Would you risk your wedding so you could see the latest Star Wars movie? Shockingly, one in 10 of us would says a new survey. Entertainment writer Wayne Savage explores the dark side of telling white lies.
I’m one of the biggest Star Wars fans going, but I’d rather have faced Darth Vader than ask my wife (who refused to walk down the aisle to the Imperial March) to postpone our wedding so I could see new instalment Rogue One.
Believe it or not, 12% of film fans admitted they would in a new survey of 2,000 Cineworld Unlimited Card members.
The film, buoyed by great reviews and the tragic death of Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher, has shattered the $800million mark at the global box office since its release in December.
Cineworld’s research revealed 60% of the nation would go to drastic lengths to ensure they didn’t miss it. Nearly a third (30%) confessed they’d cancel plans with friends and family, 14% would call in sick to work and 4% would tell their other half they had to stay late at work.
Annoyingly I don’t need an excuse. Thanks to a kidney stone that feels the size of the Death Star I’ve lots of time on my hands - I’m just not well enough to make the trip to Cardinal Park yet. Stuck on my sofa at home, the findings made me wonder what other white lies people tell.
I once knew somebody who’d say her husband was ill or had taken a fall to get out of social events for work. A workmate recently admitted to having a couple of fibs up their sleeve to avoid having to tell someone he’s been for a job interview, partly so if they don’t get it nobody knows of his failure.
My favourite confession concerned a colleague who, when a young mum, had a load of friends over to her house with their babies. Offering to make cake, she mucked it up. Instead of using condensed milk in the millionaire’s shortbread, she used evaporated milk and she wondered why it didn’t set.
“I ended up bashing up the biscuit, mixing it with the gloopy caramel and chocolate and pretending it was some Spanish dessert I’d be taught by an ‘old family friend’,” she says.
“They all loved it and a few even asked for the recipe which I informed them was a complete secret, of course. I hate to say it, but whenever a bake goes awry I always turn it into something else and say it’s a ‘special recipe’.”
The Cineworld survey also asked people who they’d most like to see play a Jedi in future Star Wars movies.
One third of those polled chose Idris Elba (32%) as the actor they’d most like to see guard peace and justice in the universe, beating Benedict Cumberbatch (22%) and Ryan Reynolds (12%). Other fan favourites included star of upcoming The Mummy reboot Sofia Boutella (9%), Cara Delevingne (7%), Robert Downey Jr (6%), Chris Evans (6%) and Gal Gadot (6%).
Out of the eight Star Wars episodes so far, 27% chose the plot twist of Darth Vader revealing his relationship to Luke Skywalker as the series’ greatest scene of all time. And 35% of Brits agreed that Yoda’s words of wisdom - do or do not, there is no try – were the best quote of the saga.
The franchise also won the battle of the blockbusters, with more than a third of us (31%) crowning it number one. It beat the Marvel multiverse (25%) and the wizarding world of JK Rowling (15%). Rounding out the list of other franchises the nation would like to see an unlimited amount of new films from were James Bond (11%), DC Universe (5%), Mission Impossible (3%), Bridget Jones’ Diary (3%), Fast and Furious (2%) and The Hunger Games (2%).
Andreas Vass, head of film at Cineworld, says: “Star Wars is such a massive franchise and after last year’s instalment, The Force Awakens, became the highest grossing film of all time we’re not surprised cinema-goers don’t want to miss Rogue One A Star Wars Story.”
Even if they have to fib to get there!
What’s the worst or funniest fib you’ve ever told? What films are you looking forward to it 2017 and why? Email your confessions and film favourites to wayne.savage@archant.co.uk
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