To the surprise of absolutely no one, Star Wars: The Force Awakens came into movie theaters like an intergalactic wrecking ball and obliterated the competition. It was widely predicted that Jurassic Worldâs $208 million domestic opening weekend record would fall, and it certainly did!
Disney is currently estimating that The Force Awakens opened with $238 million domestically. However, Disneyâs estimates throughout the weekend of erred on the conservative side. Several box office tracking sites are suggesting that The Force Awakensâ domestic total could be closer to $250 million.
Internationally, Star Wars: The Force Awakens took in approximately $279 million. That would leave Jurassic Worldâs $525 million global opening record intact. However, Disney CEO Bob Iger has already told Bloomberg TV that Disney is projecting a $528 million global opening for The Force Awakens.
âItâs bigger than big,â said Iger. âItâs bigger than we thought it would be yesterday, as a matter of fact.â
More impressively, Star Wars: The Force Awakens achieved its strong international opening without China, which wonât premiere the film until January 9, 2016. China accounted for $100 million of Jurassic Worldâs global opening.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was uniquely situated to break the box office records, as there was clearly a pent-up demand for more Star Wars films. Could the box office records ever fall again? Of course. Records are made to be broken. But it would take an incredible set of circumstances to surpass the box office performance of The Force Awakens.
Did you see The Force Awakens on opening weekend? Which film do you think will pose the next challenge to The Force Awakensâ box office record? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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Image Credit: Lucasfilm