Walt Disney Studios announced yesterday thatStar Wars: The Force Awakenshas set a new all-time domestic debut record with an estimated $238 million. With a five-day international debut of $279 million, the film has taken in $517 million globally. This has decimated the previous opening weekend record holderJurassic World, which earned $208.8 million just six months ago. In any other year,Jurassic Worldwould have probably hung onto its status as the number one movie of the year. But it looks like it will fall toStar Wars: The Force Awakens. And as tradition suggests, the team behindJurassic Worldhave issued an official congratulatory poster featuring the T-Rex and BB-8. The image reads as such.
“Universal Pictures, Steven, Frank and Colin Congratulate Star Wars the Force Awakens on the Biggest Opening Weekend in Galactic History.”
This wasTweeted outby producerFrank Marshall. And he is of course referencingJurassic Worldexecutive producerSteven Spielbergand directorColin Trevorrowin his post. He also sends a special cheers to his wife, head of LucasFilmKathleen Kennedyand the sequel’s directorJ.J. Abrams. WhenJurassic WorldbrokeMarvel’s The Avengersrecord earlier this summer, Marvel Studios extended their own congratulations with a cool piece of artwork that showed Owen Grady riding a Tyrannosaurus. Today, the torch passing continues. Here’s whatThe Walt Disney StudioschairmanAlan Hornhad to say in a statement about this newbox officerecord yesterday, where he thanked fans for not posting spoilers on the Internet.
“Our sole focus has been creating a film that delivers that one-of-a-kindStar Warsexperience, and directorJ.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm PresidentKathleen Kennedy, and the Lucasfilm team have outdone themselves. To all of the fans around the world who not only came out in Force to make this such an exciting and astronomical debut but who treated this film as their own and helped preserve the experience for their fellow fans by not spoiling it - thank you, we do.”
En route to this galactic launch,Star Wars: The Force Awakenshas smashed several all-time domestic box office records, including Biggest Thursday preview gross with $57M. Biggest Friday and biggest single-day gross with $120.5M. First film ever to post a single day over $100M. Fastest film to $100M and $200M. Biggest December debut (nearly 3 times previous record of $84.6M). Biggest IMAX Thursday night preview ($5.7M), single-day ($14M, Friday), and weekend ($30.1M). Highest theater average for a wide release ($57,568).
Star Wars: The Force Awakensdebuted day-and-date internationally in nearly every market, except Greece and India, which open Dec. 24, and China, which opens Jan. 9, and set records in many. Here are some of the international highlights: Biggest opening weekend of all time in UK (4-day), Australia, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Austria, Poland (3-day), Denmark (5-day), Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Serbia, New Zealand. Second biggest opening weekend in France, Belgium, Israel, Chile. Biggest IMAX global debut of $48 million.
The Force is strong with critics and audiences, whose enthusiastic reactions have powered a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and an excellent A CinemaScore, with an A+ among women and younger audiences, forStar Wars: The Force Awakens. There is one record it didn’t break, though, whichJurassic Worldwas able to hold on to.Star Wars: The Force Awakensearned $279 million in international territories this weekend, for a worldwideopening weekendtally of $517 million, just behindJurassic World’s mark of $524.9 million.Star Wars: The Force Awakensis just the second movie ever to earn more than $500 million globally in one weekend, behindJurassic World, and its international take of $279 million is the third best of all time, behindJurassic World’s $316.1 million, which includes a whopping $96 million from China, andHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, which earned $314 million in its international opening weekend back in 2011. Take a look at this cool art as theJurassic Worldteam awards BB-8 a much deserved metal.
