So Disney-Lucasfilm’s “The Force Awakens” could top the six-month-old opening weekend record set by Universal’s “Jurassic World” with $208.4 million. The group, a Mardi Gras parade club, is celebrating the premiere of the latest “Star Wars” movie with costume… The film will be in a total of 4,134 locations on Friday – a record for a December opening.
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Disney officially announced that, following the $57 million the film earned in late-night showings on Thursday, along with the film’s matinee performances on Friday, The Force Awakens is projected to come in at north of $100 million for its first day in theaters.
As excited fans gathered at theaters around the country last night, investors and film analysts watched ticket sales to see whether The Force Awakens would beat box office expectations. “There would have to be an historic drop not to”, says Jeff Bock, box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. The Force Awakens shattered its first record with advanced ticket sales, reportedly selling eight times as many tickets than the previous record holder, The Hunger Games, to the tune of million.
“The Force Awakens” also debuted in a dozen worldwide markets on Wednesday with a total of $14.1 million at the global box office.
The new Star Wars film had its first screenings in the USA and Canada on Thursday evening, sales from which are estimated to have made up to $55m (£37m).
3-D screening accounted for 47% of the night’s grosses on Thursday. Disney says the film appears to be on track for more than $200 million in ticket sales this weekend.
“The Force Awakens” is set 30 years after the events of 1983’s “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”.
Such a positive reaction for “The Force Awakens” may attract the kind of repeat viewings that made James Cameron’s “Avatar” and “Titanic” the highest grossing films of all time.
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Rentrak’s survey of moviegoers showed especially promising reactions with 76% rating “The Force Awakens” at “excellent” along with 19% as “very good”. Soon to begin was a screening of the film for families who have lost a relative to combat or service-related injuries. “It’s just a flawless storm of Star Wars enthusiasm”.
