Star Wars: The Box Office Awakens

By: Connor Lenahan

It really shouldn’t come as much of a shock that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been printing money since it was released a few days ago. Think about it, has there been a movie nearly as anticipated of this in the last decade? It’s hard to say, and maybe only the first Avengers comes close. But many box office prognosticators and film industry nerds (Read: Me) were betting that the latest trip to a galaxy far, far away would obliterate box office records.

Well, that’s exactly what has happened.

Vulture did the dirty work and broke down the laundry list of records that were just smashed by JJ Abrams & Co. But here’s the best figure of them all – $517 million dollars. In the first weekend.

The race to beat Avatar and (possibly) gross over $3 billion is officially on.

“Largest Thursday Previews (screenings began at 7 p.m.): $57 million
Largest Friday, Opening Day, Single Day: $120.5 million (estimated)
Domestic Opening Weekend: $238 million (estimate)
Highest Per Theater Average (Wide Opening): $57,571 (estimate)
Top Opening Weekend for PG-13 Rated Film: $238 million (estimate)
Top Holiday Opening Weekend: $238 million (estimate)
Biggest Weekend Overall (Top 12 Gross): $294.5 million
Biggest December Weekend (Top 12 Gross): $294.5 million
December Single Day: $120.5 million (estimated)
Widest December Opening: 4,134 theaters
December Opening Weekend: $238 million (estimate)
Fastest to $100 Million: 1 Day
Global IMAX Opening Record: $48 million
Domestic IMAX Opening Record: $30.1 million”