If you've a Boeing Theater near you, you might want to inquire about digital projection coming soon. Like, very soon...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It falls far short of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' hopes, but the Force -- the force behind digital cinema, that is -- is still with them.

The Boeing Co.'s Boeing Digital Cinema unit on Thursday, one week ahead of the widely anticipated debut of movie "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones," said it expects to have 23 digital cinema systems running in theaters around the country by May 16, giving the high-tech method of distributing and showing movies a much-needed lift.

Frank Stirling, executive director of Boeing Digital Systems said he expects to have as many as 40 systems in theaters by the summer's end and possibly 100 by year's end.

The 23 all-digital theaters are in cities ranging from Seattle to Boston and Wichita, Kansas, Stirling said.

The number is far short of the some 2,000 Lucas hoped for three years ago when "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" debuted in theaters loaded with digital effects.

"Attack of the Clones" was made digitally, which holds the promise of sharper pictures and better special effects for audiences each time a movie is played.

Click here for more, and thanks to RC Fett for alerting us to some very good news!