 By LOGAN HAWKES & CARLA LAND
Ever since an obscure little movie release by a young producer and a reluctant studio back on Memorial Day weekend in 1977, Hollywood has embraced the idea of starting off the summer season with blockbuster movies.
That year George Lucas premiered the first in what would become a long series of Star Wars movies, garnering a cool $307 million in box office revenues and changing forever the way the movie industry approaches the summer season.
This Memorial Day weekend marks the 30th anniversary of Lucas’ second Star Wars blockbuster, “The Empire Strikes Back”. Now, after three decades, Star Wars officials and a number of the actors that made it famous are giving back a little of what they sowed.
Han Solo and Chewbacca reunited last week to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital almost 30 years to the day since Star Wars: Episode 5, The Empire Strikes Back premiered around the world.
Empire stars Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew and Billy Dee Williams joined Ewan McGregor, Christopher Nolan, Jon Favreau and the voice cast of The Clone Wars for a one-night-only, digital screening of the film for charity. Fans and celebrities filled the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood for the movie and a Q&A with Ford and others after the film.
 NOT THE ONLY BIG MOVIEWhile many credit Lucas and the original Star Wars film as setting the pace for what has become expected of Memorial Day movie releases, it certainly wasn’t Hollywood’s only successful early summer release - far from it. And because of summer blockbusters like “Star Wars” and “Jaws”, Memorial Day weekend releases have become something America expects each year.
“There are more teens living in America now than in the history of this country,” says Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “It’s all about when the schools are out. It’s driven by that, by how you get them into theatres."
In recent years, Hollywood has moved up the summer release season - all the way back to the first weekend in May. Iron Man 2, for example, was released May 7 this year. But limiting oursleves to Memorial weekend releases alone, we have compiled a list of the biggest releases over the last two decades that have made their mark and earned their place as one of Memorial Day weekend’s most memorable blockbuster releases.
As you prepare for another summer of BIG movies, review some of the big releases from years past.
2009 -UP - $292,979,556.00/ Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -$177,118,775.00
2008 -Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
$100,014,000.00
2007 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End - $309,404,152.00/
X-Men: The Last Stand - $307,214,195.00
2006 - The Da Vinci Code - $519,419,293; Over the Hedge - $284, 084,046.00
2005 - Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith - $380,270,577; Madagascar - $193,595,521; The Longest Yard - $158,119,460
2004 - Shrek 2 - $441,226,247; The Day After Tomorrow - $186,740,799
2003 - Bruce Almighty - $242,829,261; The Matrix Reloaded - $281,576,461
2002 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones - $302,191,252; Spider-Man - $403,706,375; Insomnia - $67,355,513; Spirit - $73,280,117
2001 - Pearl Harbor - $198,542,554; Shrek - $267,665,011
2000 - Mission: Impossible 2 - $215,409,889; Shanghai Noon - $56,937,502
1999 - Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace - $431,088,301; Notting Hill - $116,089,678
1998 - Godzilla - $136,314,294
1997 - The Lost World - $229,086,679
1996 - Mission: Impossible - $180,981,886
1995 - Casper - $100,328,194; Braveheart - $75,609,945
1994 - The Flintstones - $130,531,208; Beverly Hills Cop III - $42,614,912
1993 - Cliffhanger - $84,049,211
1992 - Alien 3 - $55,473,545; Far and Away - $58,883,840
1991 - Backdraft - $77,868,585
1990 - Back to the Future III - $87,727,583
As mentioned before, this year’s big early summer releases hit the screen earlier than usual (Iron Man 2 on May 7, Robin Hood on May 14, and Shrek III on May 21), leaving the Memorial Day weekend open to Prince of Persia as the frontrunner to walk away with end of May box office rewards.
Regardles the movie title, America loves Memorial weekend movies, and this year should be no exception.
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