So just how successful is Star Wars: The Force Awakens going to be when it finally opens this coming weekend?
Well, how’s this for starters: according to The Hollywood Reporter, advance ticket sales for the return to the galaxy far, far away have already crossed the $100 million dollar mark in North American theaters, with about $50 to $60 million of that for just the opening weekend alone. By contrast, the previous record-holder for advance ticket sales was The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, with a modest $25 million.
Fandango is reporting that The Force Awakens has already become the company’s best-selling film in the their 15-year history, in terms of advance ticket sales. It has outpaced record setting movies like this past summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World, the latter of which shattered records when it debuted to $208.8 million at the domestic box office.
Meanwhile, MovieTickets.com is also reporting huge advance ticket sales, saying The Force Awakens has already sold more than double the number that Avengers: Age of Ultron did, and twenty percent more than Jurassic World. This goes to show that while people might love their Marvel superheroes and Spielbergian dinosaurs–to paraphrase Lord Vader–“Their power is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”
So how much will The Force Awakens ultimately make on opening weekend? Current tracking has it at at least $180 million, and that’s actually something of a lowball estimate. Is James Cameron’s run as the “King of the World” with his films Avatar and Titanic about to end? If any movie has a chance to go for the title biggest of all time, it’s certainly one with the words Star Wars in the title. but I’m certainly rootin’ for team Jedi. Time to go kick those giant blue cat aliens in the butt, BB-8.
Before you head to The Force Awakens, check out the cast giving their best fake spoilers below,
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IMAGE: Lucasfilm
