Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens to record $57 million on Thursday
Star Wars: The Force Awakens posted an estimated $57 million in Thursday evening previews, topping the previous industry record of $43.5 million set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011. 3D is an impressive 47% of the night with IMAX posting $5.7 million from 391 screens, nearly doubling the previous record of $3 million. Domestically across all formats, the film plays in 4,134 theaters this weekend, a record for the month of December.
Lucasfilm‘s Star Wars: The Force Awakens began its international rollout on December 16 in 12 markets, followed by an additional 32 markets on December 17, opening #1 in each and bringing its two-day international total to $72.7 million and a global cume near $130 million. International highlights include:
– Biggest single day of all time in UK/Ireland, Germany, Norway and Sweden
– 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
– Biggest Disney opening day of all-time in France, Denmark, South Africa, Czech Republic, Turkey
– Biggest December opening day in France, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore
– 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
In addition to its North American debut, Star Wars: The Force Awakens adds Japan and Spain today for a day-and-date release across all territories except Greece and India, which open December 24, and China, which opens on January 9. You can view the international numbers below:
UK $14.4M
France $7.8M
Germany $7.1M
Australia $6.8M
Mexico $3.4M
Italy $3.1M
Russia $2.9M
Brazil $2.7M
Sweden $2.7M
Other territories $21.8M
Total $72.7M
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.
