“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has sent a box office record with an estimated $57 million from Thursday night shows.
Advertisement
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will clearly surpass the biggest December opening of all time (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey holds the domestic record with $84.6 million).
“I love J.J. Abrams”, one fan said. Stuff’s reviewer Sarah Watt wrote: “Two words. Awe”.
Caroline Ritter, 34, a truck driver, and firefighter Andrew Porters, 29, were among about 100 die-hard fans who camped outside Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre since Dec 5 for the opening of The Force Awakens.
The most anticipated film in the galaxy opened globally Thursday, setting global and pre-sale box-office records and delighting moviegoers who’ve had opening-night tickets in hand for months.
Walt Disney Company Africa said the film grossed more than R4.7 million on Wednesday on its first day of release with over 70 000 fans “flocking to cinemas”.
“I’ve loved “Star Wars” since I was a kid. It is Fandango’s top-selling movie of all time, even before it has even hit theater screens”, said Fandango President Paul Yanover.
A lot is riding on the film for Disney, which paid $4.06 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012.
Get ready for an influx of Star Wars box office reports, because Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been breaking records since pre-sale tickets went online, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. The movie was showing in Dalton, Ga., but they’d driven to East Ridge because the crowd would be bigger and “we thought it would be more fun”, they said.
Watching the movie with his nine-year-old son Nicholas Anakin Hoknes, he said the film is a chance for a new generation of fans to be introduced to the franchise.
Advertisement
Star Wars is expected to haul in between Dollars 180 million and Dollars 223 million in the United States and Canada from its Thursday night debut through Sunday, according to experts.
