Take one of the most hyped movies of all time that relaunches one of the most beloved sagas of all time, then mix in stellar early reviews and you have a clear path for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to mow down records at the box office.
The first strike by the J.J. Abrams sequel came on Thursday night where $57 million was earned domestically from a combination of traditional, 3D and IMAX showings beginning at 7 pm. Warner’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 previously held the Thursday night record with a distant $43.5 million.
It was a foregone conclusion that Friday’s single-day record, also held by the final Harry Potter film, would also fall given that the Thursday record was beaten by such a wide margin. Sure enough, Star Wars: The Force Awakens crushed the Potter record with $120.5 million versus $91 million, a roughly 33 percent beat.
The next record that will fall is the three-day opening set this past June by Universal’s Jurassic World, which also served to relaunch a beloved franchise. That film earned $208.4 million its opening weekend while The Force Awakens is currently pacing to grab somewhere between $220 and $230 million assuming Saturday tops $60 million, which it should, and depending on how Sunday plays out.
There are two other box office records that Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands poised to topple as well. The international opening record of $316.1 million and worldwide record of $524.9, both held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, are well within striking distance for the well-oiled Star Wars machine following record debuts in numerous international countries.
With a 95% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, Star Wars: The Force Awakens should have strong legs right through the holiday season and into early 2016. It will surely crack the top three all-time movie earners both domestically and worldwide, but whether it threatens James Cameron heavyweights Titanic and Avatar in the top two spots won’t be determined for months to come.
