The company said the seventh installment of the Star Wars saga made an estimated $US145.9 million over the weekend, including $US53 million in China.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens leads for the fourth consecutive week with a $42.35 million weekend gross.
“Force Awakens” also finally opened in the world’s second-biggest movie market, tallying a record-breaking $53-million debut in China, according to studio estimates. Alejandro G. Inarritu’s “The Revenant” staring Leonardo DiCaprio overperforms.
The only wide release (since The Revenant had a two-week limited release) this weekend was the horror film The Forest starring Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s Daddy’s Home continued it’s impressive run with an estimated $15M in its third weekend, a drop of 48% from last weekend’s holiday infused grosses.
In its opening day in China, the film accounted for 70 percent of tickets sold during the day. That puts the film up to $812 million domestically and $1.733 billion worldwide, #1 on the domestic all-time chart and #3 in worldwide grosses.
The science fiction spectacle has broken at least 16 box office records in its journey to achieve glory in the United States.
“Star Wars” posted huge opening weekend numbers in China, the world’s second largest film market, where it debuted Saturday. The Forest, $US13.1 million ($US450,000) 5.
The movie, beset by production issues as the cast and crew chased snowy conditions for the shoot, cost $135 million to make, a figure that doesn’t include marketing costs, according to Box Office Mojo. “Universal’s ‘Sisters” rounded out the top five, earning 7.2 million.
Oscar hopefuls The Hateful Eight and The Big Short had a photo finish to end the weekend for spots No. 6 and 7 on the list as both made approximately $6.3M with Tarantino’s western performing a hair better with an extra $51k. The movie came out in China on January 9. The film brought in $6.4 million, down a rough 60% from last week.
J. J Abrams admitted at the Television Critics Association, via IGN, that he is grateful to everyone who has been to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, before then apologizing to parents who have been forced to take their children to see it on numerous occasions.
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George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is the top-grosser to date in the best picture drama category, followed by Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight ($28.6-M), Todd Haynes’ Carol and Lenny Abrahamson’s Room.
