You know what’s hot right now? A live tour. Cult classic movies and TV shows with dedicated fanbases have taken to putting a show together and hitting up theaters around the country, and the model is really working for certain types of projects. Napoleon Dynamite is a perfect example. The lead actors have been doing live dates for awhile now, and that’s going to take them to San Diego’s Balboa Theater for a special show during Comic-Con week!
The event in question, dubbed Napoleon Dynamite Live! will take place on Friday July 25th at 7 PM at The Balboa. If you’re an SDCC veteran, you’re probably familiar with the iconic theater, as it’s within walking distance of the Convention Center and has hosted screenings and events in the past. This year it’ll be ground zero for Napoleon Dynamite fans, who have already scooped up a healthy percentage of tickets for the Balboa event, as well as other dates around the country.
The evening will feature a full screening of the movie, as well as a Q&A with stars Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez. There will also be a bunch of additional shenanigans including improv, a game show and a lot of random bits of crowd interaction. Response at the other dates so far has been extremely positive; so, there’s every reason to believe it’ll be a fantastic night.
It’s been a little more than twenty years since Napoleon Dynamite first hit theaters. The quirky comedy was able to turn fantastic word of mouth into more than $40M at the box office, an incredible feat for a movie made for merely $400,000. In the years since, it has only picked up more fans who have fallen in love with its off-beat sensibilities and quotable lines to the point where it's not even weird to see references to Napoleon Dynamite in big-budget studio films.
As for The Balboa, it’ll be leaning hard into the past all summer. Its Retro Rewind series will feature lovable hits like Shaun Of The Dead and Ghostbusters during special Sunday screenings. They should pair well with another new series called Silent Movie Mondays, which will feature classic titles from early Hollywood, including Metropolis, Peter Pan, and Wings. Each of those films will be accompanied by live music played on an organ by some of the country’s top organists.
We cannot wait for Napoleon Dynamite Live! and are super excited to see the guys back together!