Now that simultaneous worldwide releases are more common than ever, what's next? Simultaneous theatrical and DVD releases? Online release? No. If you're 20th Century Fox, the next step is to release the movie to outer space. This Friday, December 12, The Day the Earth Stood Still will become the world's first galactic motion picture release. On the same day that Earthlings get to see Keanu Reeves' latest movie, that movie will make its way towards a premiere at the Alpha Centauri.

And you thought an IMAX release was impressive.

How are they doing this? Fox has hired the Deep Space Communications Network in Cape Canaveral to transmit the entire movie. The transmission will travel at 186,000 miles per second through space, and the movie can be intercepted and viewed at any point as it makes its way to the Alpha Centauri. If you happen to be on Mars this Friday, you can watch the movie for free 4 minutes after they beam this thing up. Beats going to the theaters with all those cell phones and crying babies, right?

"We are thrilled about beaming this film into space. This will be our first full length movie transmission. And what could be more relevant to send into Deep Space than a movie about the Earth's acceptance of visitors from outer space," commented Jim Lewis, Managing Director, Deep Space Communications Network.

Because of the distance between Earth and Alpha Centauri, any aliens orbiting around the destination wouldn't get the transmission until 2012, and it's going to take an additional 4 years after that for us to receive any replies. Who knows, maybe in 2016, NASA would suddenly receive a transmission from space that just says "Four tentacles up!"

Scary thought: if the Mayans were right and the world ends on 2012, aliens are going to think that a The Day the Earth Stood Still remake is the most important movie in Earth's history.