Fanboys is one of those movies that probably won’t do very well in theaters, but will build a huge audience on DVD. The concept of a group of fans undergoing a secret mission to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal a print of Star Wars: Episode I before its released should appeal to a large audience (all those Star Wars geeks out there), but they don’t always show up to see movies like this in the theater.

That’s why it doesn’t surprise me that the film was pushed back earlier this year to come out in January of next year. This misses the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars but gave the chance for George Lucas himself to get involved and help out a little bit. One of the film’s stars, Dan Fogler, appeared optimistic that the date might get pushed up though, gearing the movie for a Christmas release, as he told Sci Fi Wire. ”They said it was going to be January 18th; I think now they're going to try to get it to Christmas.”

But wait a minute. The same article has Fogler saying, ”like any artistic adventure, it ain't ready 'til it's ready. So I think they really wanted to, but it's a race. I think they're going to try and get it after Christmas.” So which is it, Christmas or after Christmas?

A Christmas release for a movie like this seems unlikely. While it has a rather wide audience, it does no good if they don’t come out to see it, and with Christmas such as National Treasure 2, I Am Legend, The Golden Compass, and AvP 2 already vying for those dollars, it seems unlikely Fanboys would make a huge dent. The January release date seems as much a safety net as it is an opportunity to beef up the flick with Lucas’s help.