CEDAR RAPIDS — Star Wars fans are getting an early Christmas present this week when “Rogue One” the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise, premieres.

Many local theaters are planning Thursday showings before the official release on Friday and anticipate big crowds. Die-hard fans already have their tickets in hand.

John Bonar, 35 of Cedar Rapids, plans to see the movie Thursday night in 3-D. A lifelong Star Wars fan, Bonar is a member of the Imperial 501st Legion, Vader’s Fist, an organization that promotes interest in Star Wars through the building and wearing of quality costumes in the name of charity. In his role, Bonar attends various Star Wars events dressed as Darth Vader, and Thursday’s premiere is to be no exception.

“It is always a pleasure to see the smiles on people’s faces when Lord Vader appears,” he said. “We hope that we will be able to interact with fans, take pictures and have fun before the movie.”

Bonar said he is particularly excited to see the return of Darth Vader in “Rogue One,” which thus far is receiving good reviews from movie critics.

Joseph Sorensen, 26, of Cedar Rapids, said he is excited to see another Star Wars movie on the big screen without all the computer-generated imagery.

“I love the fact that ‘Rogue One’ is using traditional effects and costumes rather than CGI ... the original trilogy used models, puppets and prosthetics,” he said. “The return to these effects is essential to a good Star Wars movie. Also, telling the back story of “A New Hope” is going to be awesome.”

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Chris Moore, who owns the Bijou Theater in Mount Vernon with his wife Kira, feels the movie is destined to be a big hit. The Moores — who also happen to be huge Star Wars fans and plan to dress up in their gear while operating the theater this weekend — took over ownership of the Bijou last year and were there to see the opening of “The Force Awakens,” so they know a little of what to expect this time around.

Moore said they expect to see large groups of fans attend the movie together and they’ve added extra showtimes throughout the weekend to accommodate the interest. They also are offering special popcorn and drink containers for sale and plan to conduct Star Wars-themed drawings before each movie.

While the Bijou, a small independent theater, doesn’t sell advanced tickets they do take ticket reservations and they have had a flurry of calls.

“People have been calling since the beginning of December, before we even confirmed that we’d be showing the movie,” Chris Moore said. “We’ve reserved more tickets for this premiere weekend than we have for other big movies that have come out recently. And we have groups of 10 and 15 coming together. It’s fun to have these movies over the holidays because of that.”

Elisabeth Chretien, 32 of North Liberty, already has her tickets for the Thursday night screening and plans to go see the movie with her boyfriend and a big group of friends.

“Last year, for the premiere of ‘The Force Awakens,’ my boyfriend dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and spent months on his costume. We’re not dressing up in costumes this year, but I intend to wear as much Rebel Alliance stuff as I can: a Rebel Alliance tee shirt, Star Wars Rebels skirt, Death Star leggings, a Jedi Academy cardigan and R2-D2 hair bow.”

Chretien, who watched the original movies with her parents from a very young age, said she is excited about the characters in this movie.

“I’m particularly excited to see another female protagonist in the Star Wars universe,” she said. “There have always been great female characters in the franchise, but having grown up in the 1980s and 1990s — when every female character in sci-fi was a reason to celebrate — I’m glad to see another one as the main character.

“Also, as much as I’m a hard-core Jedi fangirl, I’m really interested to see a Star Wars story that doesn’t rely on Jedi.”

Sorensen, who has his tickets in hand for Friday’s show, said he’s continuing a family tradition of seeing the movie with his father.

“We’ve seen every Star Wars movie in theaters, so I guess it’s a tradition that he and I will be seeing this one together as well,” he said.

“Star Wars is something that brings people together, and the opportunity for more people to experience the excitement and unification of the story is what excites me most about ‘Rogue One,’ ” he added.

Sorensen said he thinks Star Wars has been successful at creating a legacy and a strong community of passionate fans.

“People grew up with Star Wars and passed it on to their children like my dad passed it on to me. Then Episodes I-III came out and captivated that younger generation,” he said.

“When I saw ‘The Force Awakens’ in theaters opening night, people cheered when the opening music burst through the speakers and when the Millennium Falcon was shown for the first time.

“That excitement and camaraderie is what I’ve come to love about Star Wars.”

Moore agreed.

“There’s a definite energy when you come to a Star Wars movie,” he said. “There’s an amped up, fun atmosphere. I’ve heard a lot of people say this movie might be better than ‘The Force Awakens.’ We haven’t waited 30 years for this one, but it should be pretty exciting.”

IF YOU GO

Here are movie theatres in Linn and Johnson counties planning to show “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” beginning Thursday:

Linn County

Wehrenberg Theatres Galaxy 16 Cine

5340 Council St. NE, Cedar Rapids

(319) 393-8941

Showtimes: wehrenberg.com

Wynnsong 12

2435 Edgewood Road SW, Cedar Rapids

(319) 390-9261

Showtimes: www.carmike.com

Johnson County

Coral Ridge Cinema

Coral Ridge Mall, 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville

(319) 625-2100

Showtimes: marcustheatres.com

Marcus Sycamore Cinema

1602 Sycamore St., Iowa City

(319) 625-1010

Showtimes: marcustheatres.com

Bijou Movie Theater

123 Second St. South, Mount Vernon

(319) 895-6165

Showtimes: bijouonline.com