The latest instalment of the highly anticipated space epic raked in $57 million for its opening night Thursday, easily beating the previous record – $43.5 million – held by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” in 2011.
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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ makes history as it breaks sales records
In third place, the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy ” Sisters ” earned an estimated .42 million in its opening weekend. Even before anyone in the public saw the movie, the latest chapter of ” Star Wars ” was smashing records.
NEW YORK (AP) – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has already surpassed $100 million in North America and $250 million globally, setting it up for a record-breaking weekend.
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Some analysts worry such films could get lost in the shadow of “Star Wars”, though some suggest otherwise as “Star Wars” brought out consumers who haven’t been to a theater in a long time – welcome news to theater owners who have seen their attendance stagnate in recent years.
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The opening weekend record is now held by “Jurassic World” which premiered earlier this year to US$208.8 million at the box office.
It was also the biggest IMAX Thursday night preview of $5.7 million, single-day with $14 million on Friday and weekend with $30.1 million, according to Rentrak.
Disney purchased “Star Wars” producer Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012 and is betting that big-budget films can draw customers even as viewers gravitate to online streaming and mobile viewing and theater attendance declines. China is the world’s second-largest film market. “The Force Awakens” was heading toward a Friday take of more than $100 million domestically, said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney.
But “The Force Awakens” is riding a wave of hype, nostalgia and positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
Star Wars is opening in 4,134 theatres in the United States and Canada, a record number for a December film debut.
The “Star Wars” box office takeover was also supported by some unusual promotions for ticket buyers.
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WASHINGTON, Dec 19 ― Some very special galactic visitors took the White House by storm yesterday (December 19). President Barack Obama began a year-end news conference Friday noting, “Clearly, this is not the most important event that’s taking place in the White House today”. Now 38 years after “Star Wars” first hit the big screen, there is an (almost) literal galaxy of branded merchandise.
