The Great Gatsby: Students anticipate iconic book-turned-movie

Known for throwing some of the most elaborate parties of his time, Jay Gatsby is set to throw his greatest one yet — this time on the silver screen as “The Great Gatsby” is slated to hit U.S. theaters May 10.

With an ensemble of several of the entertainment industry’s most well-known stars — such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Jay-Z, Beyoncé Knowles and Kanye West, to name a few — claiming a stake in the creation of the multi-million dollar movie. The hype among students at the University of South Dakota to see the newest film adaptation of the classic novel continues to build.

First-year Jenifer Hall has been waiting for the movie to premier since it was first announced in late 2011.

“I can’t wait for the movie to come out,” Hall said, who is already making plans with her friends to dress up as characters and attend the midnight premier. “I liked the book, so it will be cool to see the story made into a movie.”

Originally scheduled for a December 2012 release, Warner Bros. announced “The Great Gatsby” premier date would be pushed back to May 2013 because of conflicts with production scheduling. A month of high profile movies such as “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “Les Miserables” could have also influenced the change in release dates from December to May, according to boxoffice.com

The website also states, “The Great Gatsby is projected to bring in a revenue of $24 million opening weekend.”

First-year Sara Ellington said she believes one of the biggest draws that will get people out to see the movie is the casting of characters.

“All of the stars are really well-known, which is going to help the movie a lot,” Ellington said. “I’m most excited to see DiCaprio as Gatsby.”

Since its publication April 10, 1925, “The Great Gatsby” has found its way into the hands of millions, achieved the status of “The Great American Novel” and is ranked as one of the top contenders for best English-novel of the 20th century.

A required read in most high school curriculum, USD students said they could recall having to read vicariously through Nick Carraway in order to experience F. Scott Fitzgerald’s depiction of “The Roaring Twenties.”

First-year Shannon Kymala said she had to read the book her junior year of high school, and said there were multiple aspects of the plot she enjoyed, though it is a spoiler alert.

“I liked the ending of the story, especially the car crash,” Kymala said. “I really like Daisy, because we both seem to share similar qualities.”

Hall said the book’s namesake, who adds much of the conflict to the plot is her favorite character.

“I like Gatsby,” Hall said. “He’s got a good sense of motivation and does what he wants.”

Hall said one of the best qualities of the story was how it told the story of a long lost love, something she said always adds a nice touch.

On its sixth film adaptation, the latest spin on the novel is said to focus on integrating the jazz and hip-hop age in order to create a more upbeat, vibrant viewing experience.

As technological advances further in the filming industry, “The Great Gatsby” will join the list of films to premier both as a 3-D and 2-D version of the film. With an estimated budget of $127 million, boxoffice.com estimates “The Great Gatsby” should accumulate revenues close to $73 million.