By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com

The Rise of the Guardians will begin at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Newberry.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_DSC_0164.jpgThe Rise of the Guardians will begin at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Newberry. Andrew Wigger | The Newberry Observer

NEWBERRY — The Newberry Community Players will hold their annual free movie night in Downtown Newberry on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. right at the end of the Main Street Lights. This year’s movie will be will be Rise of the Guardians from 2012.

According to the movie’s description, immortal Guardians like Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) protect the world’s children from darkness and despair generation after generation.

But an evil boogeyman named Pitch Black (Jude Law) schemes to overthrow the Guardians by obliterating children’s belief in them. It falls to a winter sprite named Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to thwart Pitch’s plans and save the Guardians from destruction.

“This is a fun movie. Every time I have seen kids watch this movie they are 100 percent interested in it and they are having a great time. The kids will talk about the movie for weeks, it is a jump off point for their imagination,” said Ellen Hunt, chairman of board of directors at Newberry Community Players. “When kids watch they will tell you what they really want for Christmas for weeks.”

Hunt said the board picked Rise of the Guardians because it was a current Christmas movie.

Last year the annual movie night was not held on the same night as the Main Street Lights. Hunt said last year the Main Street Lights and the annual Shakespeare play fell during the same week. So the board elected to have the movie night after the Main Street Lights, but the turnout was low.

“This year we bumped Shakespeare up a week, and we will once again have the movie night during the Main Street Lights,” Hunt said. “Having the movie night on the same as the Main Street Lights can really bring out the Christmas spirit of the City of Newberry.”

The Community Players pay for the use of the movie, but the movie will be free to all attendees. Concessions, including popcorn, candy bars and drinks, will be available for $1.

All money raised from concessions will go toward the Community Young Players.

Movie night typically attracts anywhere from 100 to 200 people, but the Ritz can fit 475. Hunt said they have been getting the word out about the movie through posters, season brochures and putting it on Facebook.

“I am encouraging everyone to come out, families and individuals, young and old,” she said.

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.