While most people are on the countdown to a big day on the 25th of this month, for hundreds of hardcore Star Wars fans Thursday blows Christmas completely out of the water.
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Brand new Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, hits cinemas across Australia today but the true Canberra fans sat in on midnight screenings of the film at Dendy, Palace Electric, Event Cinemas and Hoyts overnight.
Some Star Wars obsessives even got up early to see the movie before heading to work on Thursday morning, with 6am sessions being hosted at most cinemas.
For Queanbeyan's Amy Armriding, 25, who was first in the door at a 12.01am screening at Palace Electric, Thursday is "hands down" the best day of 2017.
"This is our Christmas - this is the ultimate for us," she said.
"We've literally set the day aside for the opportunity to get dressed up, we've prepared for a movie being released - we've had 12 months since Rogue One, we've been in training for this."
Amy, a veterinary nurse by day, is a member of the Canberra chapter of the 501st Legion - a global Star Wars fan club whose members love dressing up as "the bad guys" from the space films.
Amy's pride and joy is a brand new TIE fighter pilot costume that has been three years, two continents and about $800 in the making.
It consists of a bucket (helmet), flight suit, chest piece, gloves, boots, belt, a communications pad and armor, and hangs in her wardrobe next to the biker scout costume of her Star Wars-obsessed boyfriend Tony.
Amy was overjoyed when Fairfax Media asked her to don the costume on Wednesday for a photo shoot - despite the 34 degree heat.
"Any opportunity I can get to be in my kit, I'm there," she laughed.
"We do guest appearances at birthday parties, charity events, weddings, anything really - we're there to spread the Star Wars love."
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is expected to be one of the highest grossing films of 2017 and is the eighth film in the Star Wars series.
But it's a movie tinged with sadness for Star Wars fans across the world. It's the last film featuring Princess Leia Organa, famously portrayed by actress Carrie Fisher who died last December after completing her scenes in the movie.
Although it's been 40 years since the release of the first film, Amy said the world's passion for Star Wars is continuing to grow.
"It speaks to every age and every generation and it speaks to people around the world which is unique and incredible," Amy said.
"It's always so much fun when we have people in their 70s and 80s coming up to us saying 'I remember when the very first movie came out and we took our kids to see it' right down to little kids now asking if we know Kylo Ren.
"No other movie, TV show or game quite brings people together like Star Wars - it's a universal phenomenon and people adore it."
The estimated box office for The Last Jedi globally this weekend is $US425 million.
