E! Online's Anderson Jones was at a press party for Attack of the Clones:

After the screening at the Ranch (I love saying that!), the assembled media types--including The Early Show's Mark McEwen and Today's Al Roker (it's a battle of the morning-show weathermen!) who are up way, way past their bedtimes--were ushered into the compound's cavernous scoring stage for dinner, drinks and an intergalactic hoedown. Think Mos Isley cantina.

A deejay spun dance tunes while hired ex-ravers boogied in face makeup and costumes wired with glowing lights. A remote-controlled R2-D2 patrolled the dance floor and Lucas mingled with people worth about a billion less. I asked him if he hoped to beat Spider-Man's opening weekend next week.

"How can we?" said the action-figure mogul. In fact, Attack of the Clones will be on about 1,000 fewer screens than Spidey. And even though it opens a day earlier in the week, that day doesn't count...and it'll probably be the biggest.

"For me, it's about quality control," says Lucas. "We only wanted to be in theaters that had digital sound." He may also be on fewer screens because theater owners may have been skittish about overcommitting screens in light of Phantom Menace's soft performance.

Lucas also blames corporate politics, which, as an independent filmmaker, he doesn't have to worry about. "They have a big opening and their stock price goes up," he said. "It's all for the investors--I can't compete with that."

But doesn't Fox, the studio that distributes Clones, have stockholders...?

At any rate, I have a bet riding on it, and I think the Force may yet pull it out.

Visit the link above for more, but watch out for spoilers.