The Walt Disney Studios announced today 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. Here’s whatThe Walt Disney StudioschairmanAlan Hornhad to say in a statement about this newbox officerecord, while thanking the 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 Awakens debuted 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 Awakens earned $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 Awakens is 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. What do you think aboutStar Wars: The Force Awakens' amazing opening weekend?
