Star Wars: The Force Awakens blasts off with a record $120.5 million
Playing in 4,134 theaters domestically, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has posted an estimated $120.5 million its first day, including $57 million in Thursday evening previews, making it the highest single day on record and the first film to break the $100 million mark in a single day. The previous one-day record was set in n July 2011 by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with $91.1 million. Walt Disney Pictures is forecasting an opening weekend near $220 million for the Lucasfilm release, which will break the opening weekend record of $208.8 million set by Jurassic World in June.
Audiences gave the film an A CinemaScore, including an A+ among women and younger audiences, which combined with its 95% Rotten Tomatoes score should provide enormous momentum through the weekend and the run.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens began its international rollout on Dec. 16, adding Spain and Japan yesterday and continuing to dominate with #1 debuts everywhere. The three-day international total is an estimated $129.5 million, bringing the global total to $250 million. The film is now open in all territories except Greece and India, which open Dec. 24, and China, which opens on Jan. 9. International highlights include:
– Biggest single day of all time in UK/Ireland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Iceland
– Biggest opening day of all time in UK/Ireland, Germany, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland (French-speaking), Austria, Ukraine, Slovakia, Croatia, Iceland, Serbia, Chile, Peru, Poland, Hungary
– Biggest Disney opening day of all-time in France, Denmark, South Africa, Czech Republic, Turkey, Serbia
– Biggest December opening day in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Russia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam
– IMAX records set in UK/Ireland, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Austria, Turkey, Portugal, Qatar, UAE, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Chile, Costa Rica, Trinidad
Highlights of the major markets include:
UK $24.7M
Germany $12.7M
France $11.1M
Australia $10.4M
Mexico $5.7M
Russia $4.9M
Italy $4.4M
Brazil $4.1M
Sweden $3.9M
Spain $3.5M
Japan $3.0M
Other Territories $40.2M
Total $129.5M
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, the movie stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. You can watch all the previously-released trailers and TV spots for the film by clicking here.
