‘Star Wars’ fans host memorable parties

Saluting ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ Atlanta family goes galactic
Erin Wert grabs a selfie of her family during a "Star Wars" party at her parents' house. The Wert family dressed up in rebel and Imperial gear, baked Wookiee Cookies and a gingerbread Millennium Falcon in anticipation of  the final installment in the "Star Wars" triple trilogy. CONTRIBUTED: MOLLY PRATT

Erin Wert grabs a selfie of her family during a "Star Wars" party at her parents' house. The Wert family dressed up in rebel and Imperial gear, baked Wookiee Cookies and a gingerbread Millennium Falcon in anticipation of the final installment in the "Star Wars" triple trilogy. CONTRIBUTED: MOLLY PRATT

Jim and Emily Wert are known for their parties and their gingerbread houses.

Usually the parties serve as warm-ups to movies in one of four genres: Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars.”

The centerpieces at those get-togethers have usually been edible sculptures of scenes from the movie in question.

A gingerbread version of the Millennium Falcon  is the centerpiece of a 'Star Wars"-themed party at the Wert home, in the Virginia Highland/Morningside neighborhood. Friends gathered for Wookiee Cookies and baked Brie Brie 8 before catching the new film, "The Rise of Skywalker." CONTRIBUTED: MOLLY PRATT

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Emily built a replica of the dragon-headed square-rigger for "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader;" a gingerbread copy of the Hogwarts Castle for the party that preceded the opening of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and a tasty cinnamon-infused Lake-town from "The Desolation of Smaug."

On Saturday the Wert family invited a few hundred friends to their Virginia Highland/Morningside house to warm up for "The Rise of Skywalker," the last installment in the Star Wars triple trilogy. A detailed gingerbread version of the Millennium Falcon sat atop the piano at the center of the party.

Also on the bill of fare: Wookiee Cookies, Brie Brie 8 baked brie and a watermelon carved into a Death Star.

Members of the Wert family pose outside their Virginia Highland home at a "Star Wars"-themed party, hosted in anticipation of the release of "The Rise of Skywalker." CONTRIBUTED: MOLLY PRATT

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Judging from the dozens of volumes of Tolkien stories in the towering shelves at their house, along with the many movie props on display (including a set of hobbit ears signed by Sean Astin), “Lord of the Rings” is their principle love. But the Werts are also dedicated Star Wars fans.

Back in May 1983, Emily was two weeks overdue with their first child when “Return of the Jedi” opened in theaters. Emily and Jim stood in line for the movie anyway, at a Buckhead theater where Tower Place is now.

Her contractions began as soon as the lights went down. The pains were coming regularly by the time Luke made his way into Jabba the Hutt’s palace.

A baked brie in the shape of BB-8 is among the Star Wars-themed food at a recent party hosted by Jim and Emily Wert in anticipation of the opening of  "The Rise of Skywalker." CONTRIBUTED: MOLLY PRATT

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Nonetheless the Werts stayed in the theater until the third-act destruction of the force-field generator on Endor. Then they made their way to the hospital, where Jimmy Wert was born.

(They returned to the theater two weeks later to catch the parts of the movie that they had missed.)

This weekend “The Rise of Skywalker” opened in 4,300 theaters, and was on pace to earn $400 million in its first weekend. According to The New York Times the movie was released in every country except for Vietnam, South Korea and the Philippines.