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Metro Atlanta was no exception, as many movie-goers took off from work just so they could be at the front of the queue when theaters allowed them in two hours early for a midnight Wednesday screening at the Regal 24 Cinema in suburban Chamblee.

Hundreds of fans found enough to do as they waited in lawn chairs, tossed footballs, played parlor games and discussed their expectations for "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

Some were dressed in "Star Wars" outfits, such as the white-robed storm troopers and Anakin Skywalker. Most were in normal street clothes.

"I'm a typical Star Wars geek, trying to see the Final Episode," said Jimmy Burns, 32, who helped his Rebel Legion fan club be first by setting up tents in the parking lot of the theater off an access road to Interstate 85 just northeast of Atlanta.

Burns, 32, who works for EarthLink in the city, said he had been waiting since Monday, having taken a couple of days off from work.

"This is a part of my vacation," he said.

Regal had nine of its 24 screens dedicated to the movie. Each of the theaters seats between 200 and 300.

Ain Letender, a 30-year-old computer technician, had been waiting since about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. He also took vacation time and kept himself busy by watching DVDs, playing Monopoly and conversing with media reporters covering the movie opening.

Letender compared ancitipation of the spectacle to events such as the Super Bowl or NBA All-Star Game.

"The only difference between sporting events and this is that sporting events are able to tailgate every weekend," Letender said. "Other than that, the excitement is the same."

Letender's wife, Anita, was with him, but she actually came early Wednesday morning.

"I'm a Star Wars fan, but I cannot sleep outside overnight," she said.

Fans Eagerly Await Movie

Dozens of fans are camping out at a DeKalb County movie theater to be the first in line for tonight's midnight premiere of the new "Star Wars" movie, the last film in the series and expected to be one of the biggest movies this summer.

A fan camped out at the theater shows off his light saber skills. Star Wars Atlanta Premier Light Saber

The fans who gathered at the Regal Hollywood 24 theater say they already have tickets but were camping out to, ahem, feel the force of other fans.

"I've waited 23 years to see how this story ends," said fan Ian Letendre, who was among those camping out. "Even though I know how it ends, I just gotta see it to believe it."

Industry officials predict that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" will be among the biggest movie openings of all time.

Experts predict that anticipation by fans to see the film will affect the workplace in lost productivity.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that U.S. businesses could lose an estimated $627 million during the first two days of the film's release, according to John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which tracks workplace and employment trends.

"I suppose it's like people who take off to watch the NCAA," Challenger told the newspaper. "I don't think there's another cultural event tied to a group or generation of people quite so directly as 'Star Wars.'

"Techies, computer people, engineering people, Generation Xers were watching 'Star Wars' when they were sitting in their baby seats," he said. "This formed their lives."

wsbtv.com Staff Writer Alfred Charles contributed to this report.