Director J.J. Abrams is known for keeping secrets about his films up to the day they release in theaters, and this holds true for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Case in point, Disney and LucasFilm are also delaying the release of the film's tie-in novelization to avoid spoilers of the film's plot from leaking online.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the physical copy of the book will be delayed until Jan. 5, 2016. The e-book version will still launch simultaneously with the film on Dec. 18.
It is explained that it is much harder to manage the unwarranted release of pages that will be printed and then shipped to major suppliers weeks ahead of the film's release date. The window between the book being printed and then shipped to stores would be a wide opportunity for just one copy to find its way to the public's eye.
Keeping the digital copy and its contents a secret is reportedly much easier in comparison.
Del Ray publishing house's David Moench explains, "We would love to release both formats of the novelization simultaneously and not miss the holidays, but we recognize the importance of protecting the story for the fans."
/Film reports that this is a big departure from the norm as most tie-in novelizations release either together with the film or even a few weeks or days before the film hits theaters. It is even pointed out that the last "Star Wars" film, "Revenge of the Sith," saw its novelization hit store shelves a full six weeks prior to the film's theatrical release.
Everything is quite different this time around given that so much about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has been shrouded in secrecy. Everything from the last names of the two new characters to the appearance of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker has been held back from the public and this will remain until the film shows in theaters.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theaters on Dec. 18.
