New studio estimates and Rentrak further estimate that the J.J. Abrams-directed Force Awakens will destroy the weekend box office record with at least a $225 million weekend total. The record holder for the biggest opening during the month is “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, which took in $85 million in domestic receipts in 2012.
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Raking in £9.64m on Thursday alone, The Force Awakens broke the opening day record held by the second instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the UK.
Two million tickets were booked in advance of the film’s release, also setting a new record for advanced ticket bookings in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“The potential for “The Force Awakens” to ultimately break into the $2 billion club worldwide is certainly in the realm of possibility”, Dergarabedian said.
“It’s late and you guys are still here, I love it”, he said.
Nomura Securities analyst Anthony DiClemente, who rates Disney a “buy”, said he was more confident after seeing the movie that it could become the top-grossing film of all time.
JJ Abrams initially turned down the opportunity to directStar Wars: The Force Awakens, a $7 billion blockbuster and undoubtedly the most successful film of the year, because he was anxious about the effect it could have on his career.
Critics applauded “Force Awakens”, which features newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac alongside original stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
Star Wars earned $72.7m in 44 countries outside North America on Thursday.
Even the White House was getting into the “Star Wars” hoopla. Soon to begin was a screening of the film for families who have lost a relative to combat or service-related injuries.
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White House Press secretary Josh Earnest is joined by Star Wars Storm Troopers and R2D2 in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015.
