The Force Awakens Predictably Smashes Box Office Records

[Steven Bogos]

The Force Awakens Predictably Smashes Box Office Records

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Surprising no-one, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has broken the record for biggest opening weekend in the US.

It's no doubt that advance ticket sales [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/star%20wars%20the%20force%20awakens?os=star+wars+the+force+awakens] bringing in over $100 million dollars. Now that the movie has had a whole weekend at the box office, it has predictably smashed a whole bunch of records, bringing in a whopping $238 million in the US, and $517 million globally.

The previous record for biggest opening weekend in the US was held by Jurassic World [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/jurassic%20world?os=%20jurassic%20world], which pulled in $208 million. And while The Force Awakens did smash the domestic record, the global record is still held by Jurassic World, which pulled in $524 million in one weekend.

"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," said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.

Additionally, The Force Awakens pulled in $120.5 million on Friday alone, the biggest single-day gross and the first film to ever pull in $100 million on a single day.

Source: Disney Geek [http://blog.disneygeek.com/2015/12/20/star-wars-the-force-awakens-records/]

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[Ishigami]

It is somewhat interesting the rest of the world usually amounts for roughly 70% (e.g. Jurassic World) of the revenue yet the only thing that matters is the US... amazing.

 

[shintakie10]

I'm honestly surprised it didn't beat Jurassic World. That's...really surprising to me actually.

 

[Jadak]

I'm honestly surprised it didn't beat Jurassic World. That's...really surprising to me actually.

I'm not certain, but I do keep hearing reference to how the movie is apparently not being released in China until January.

If that's the case, and if that wasn't the case with Jurassic World, then not only is not surprising, but it's rather amazing how close it is regardless.

Edit: Right, so apparently the Jurassic World number includes 97 million from China. So unless it also had any comparable markets excluded on release, the lack of beating the record is the result of release schedules not lining up rather than falling short in sales.

 

[shintakie10]

I'm honestly surprised it didn't beat Jurassic World. That's...really surprising to me actually.

I'm not certain, but I do keep hearing reference of the movie is apparently not being released in China until January.

If that's the case, and if that wasn't the case with Jurassic World, then not only is not surprising, but it's rather amazing how close it is regardless.

Edit: Right, so apparently the Jurassic World number includes 97 million from China. So unless it also had any comparable markets excluded on release, the lack of beating the record is the result of release schedules not lining up rather than falling short in sales.

See that makes more sense.

With that in mind then hot damn did Star Wars destroy the previous record. Only 7 million less while missing out on a gigantic market like China is amazing. Wonder why they weren't able to release it in China along with the rest of the world on time.

 

[Worgen]

It is somewhat interesting the rest of the world usually amounts for roughly 70% (e.g. Jurassic World) of the revenue yet the only thing that matters is the US... amazing.

Actually most big budget movies now are trying to target more of a world wide audience, which is kinda why a lot of them sorta suck. Since clever dialog doesn't really translate well but explosions do.

 

[Zontar]

It is somewhat interesting the rest of the world usually amounts for roughly 70% (e.g. Jurassic World) of the revenue yet the only thing that matters is the US... amazing.

Actually most big budget movies now are trying to target more of a world wide audience, which is kinda why a lot of them sorta suck. Since clever dialog doesn't really translate well but explosions do.

Plus a lot of big budget movies also kiss the CCP's ass to let their movies be one of the 34 Western films released in the large and lucrative Chinese market. Which always ends up not only being bad, but actively brining down the plot of the movies in question.

Though funny enough China's building a city that will be their equivalent to Hollywood since they want to try and compete with the US in that market, but they don't seem to realize they will have trouble getting those movies released in the US due to the fact that anti-trust laws will prevent AMC from releasing them (AMC is currently owned by a Chinese state corporation, so any movie made by or in cooperation with another of their state run corporations can't be released in AMC theatres).

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

It was never not going to be super successful. I just wish it was that good.

 

[FogHornG36]

And it wasn't even really that great, it made all that money on name alone.

 

[Spider RedNight]

. . . . . *ding* Oh wait, were we supposed to be surprised that it broke records? This is only LITERALLY the most anticipated thing since.... since the last thing that was most anticipated?

I think people were just starving for it after the less-than-stellar prequels. Though watching bits of the movie felt an awful lot like something in the prequels, though I can't really put my finger on it.

 

[hermes]

I'm honestly surprised it didn't beat Jurassic World. That's...really surprising to me actually.

I'm not certain, but I do keep hearing reference of the movie is apparently not being released in China until January.

If that's the case, and if that wasn't the case with Jurassic World, then not only is not surprising, but it's rather amazing how close it is regardless.

Edit: Right, so apparently the Jurassic World number includes 97 million from China. So unless it also had any comparable markets excluded on release, the lack of beating the record is the result of release schedules not lining up rather than falling short in sales.

See that makes more sense.

With that in mind then hot damn did Star Wars destroy the previous record. Only 7 million less while missing out on a gigantic market like China is amazing. Wonder why they weren't able to release it in China along with the rest of the world on time.

There is a quota of international movies that can be released in China per year (the latest limit is 34).

I can't be sure, but I am guessing the quota was already full for 2015, and Disney didn't mind waiting to release it there since the international date was so close to New Years Eve anyway...

 

[grigjd3]

Additionally, The Force Awakens pulled in $120.5 in Friday alone, the biggest single-day gross and the first film to ever pull in $100 million on a single day.

I'm being picky but you should really change that to "$120.5 million in Friday alone".