The tally topped the previous record holder, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”, which grossed $91 million from its Thursday and Friday shows in July 2011.
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Walt Disney Co., which produced the film, is projecting that it will gross an estimated $220 million this weekend.
Disney, which bought the rights to the “Star Wars” franchise from its creator George Lucas for $4 billion (roughly Rs. 26,525 crores) in 2012, has built up the hype around “The Force Awakens”, rolling out a well-orchestrated marketing campaign that has left fans wanting more.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hurtled towards US$125 million (S$177 million) in the United States and Canadian ticket sales on Friday and a potential record-breaking US$225 million through today, giving the long-awaited movie a shot at the biggest opening weekend of all time.
However, after discussing the offer with his wife, Katie McGrath, he agreed to helm what is set to be the UK’s highest-grossing film, and may even eclipse Avatar’s global box office record. “The Force Awakens” was heading toward a Thursday night-Friday total of more than $120 million domestically, said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney.
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.
China is the world’s second-largest film market. “It’s definitely, no question, a new all-time weekend record”, says Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Rentrak.
The full “release” of Men.com’s XXX Star Wars Parody goes online December 25, Christmas Day. He said the success of The Force Awakens would not offset the impact of subscriber losses at ESPN.
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But when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy approached Abrams and asked him to direct the hotly anticipated seventh installment of the franchise, he admitted to saying no at first in an interview with The Times.
