ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Thousands of Star Wars fans will hit Albuquerque theatres through the weekend to see the latest chapter in the cinematic saga.

For one Albuquerque teacher, the excitement to see “The Last Jedi” is so intense, he’s rented out an entire theater for it… once again.

It’s not common for most people to hold more than 200 movie tickets for the same showing at once. It also isn’t a first for Ben Brown though.

“I think that has just become a thing for us,” said Brown.

That “thing” is a tradition Brown is now taking on for the third time: buying up 212 tickets to the latest Star Wars film. He uploaded a photo of his ticket stack to social media Wednesday morning.

“I’ve always loved Star Wars,” said Brown. “Love the story of it, the mythos, then just from a historical standpoint to be honest, it kind of ties in with World War II… I teach U.S. history, or used to teach U.S. history, and just always been fascinated by those kinds of stories.”

Come Monday afternoon, Brown will be watching a private screening of the “The Last Jedi” movie at an Albuquerque theater. The 212 tickets are worth about $2,000 total.

The experience isn’t just for Brown though. He’ll be joined by people he recruited on his own.

“It’s amazing to watch it with them,” said Brown.

Volcano Vista High School’s Athletic Director, Brown has invited his co-workers, friends, family and fellow students from the high school to watch the film with him.

The special screening started as a wild idea Brown had in 2015 as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was set to be released in theaters.

“Just the thought occurred, I bet if I rent out a theater, buy a theater, I can sell the tickets and see it with friends, family, staff members and we’ll have a secluded environment to see it,” said Brown.

He didn’t think he’d sell out that first year, but Brown was wrong.

“It immediately shot up to.. I had 200 responses,” said Brown.

The idea worked, but still Brown was skeptical he would be able to repeat that first-year magic.

“I thought, ‘alright, it dies the next year,’ and so, I just bought a theatre for “Rogue One, and same thing, it sold out quickly, everyone was invested, so I was really surprised,” said Brown. “It grew beyond what I had ever imagined.”

The tradition has now continued through this year, where Brown says he sold out of tickets to “The Last Jedi” quickly.

With a screening for the movie planned Monday to another sellout crowd, Brown says the Star Wars movie-going experience goes beyond just entertainment.

“You work in a place all day, everyday and they’re family too, so to watch it with them, it’s a great experience,” said Brown.

Brown says Volcano Vista High has given its blessing to the event, but say they’re not using any school money or resources to do the screening. Brown says everyone pays face value for their own ticket.

The group will be seeing a screening of “The Last Jedi” late Monday morning at the Winrock movie theatre in Albuquerque.

—-Send a Breaking News TipReport an error or typoLearn about the KRQE apps