http://deadline.com/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens-box-office-thursday-night-previews-1201669166/

As for the records the film has broken so far, here's an idea:

• Largest Thursday Previews: $57 million*
  Previous Record: $43.5 million (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)
• Largest Friday, Opening Day, Single Day: $120.5 million (estimated)
  Previous Record: $91 million (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)
• December Single Day: $120.5 million (estimated)
  Previous Record: $37.13 million (The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey)
• Widest December Opening: 4,134 theaters
  Previous Record: 4,045 theaters (The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey)
• December Opening Weekend: $120.5 million... and counting
  Previous Record: $84.62 million (The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey)
• Fastest to $100 Million: 1 Day
  Previous Record: 2 Days (Jurassic World)

Already has the biggest ever December opening weekend...in 1 day.

Although they are using a vey liberal definition of "Friday" including Thursdays '"preview" screenings. Generally those are late night midnight type shows only, but others have also included the earlier showing like SW:TFA did with 7pm and later showings?

Still by any measure thats an amazing opening and regardless of how you count Thursday it looks like the opening weekend will be in the $220 million plus range and the biggest of all-time.


Records still up for grabs this weekend include (but are not limited to):

• Largest Saturday: $69.6 million (Jurassic World)
• Largest Sunday: $57.2 million (Jurassic World)
• Domestic Opening Weekend: $208.8 million (Jurassic World)
• International Opening Weekend: $316.1 million (Jurassic World)
• Global Opening Weekend: $524.9 million (Jurassic World)
• Highest Per Theater Average (Wide Opening): $48,855 / 4,274 theaters (Jurassic World)
• Top Opening Weekend for PG-13 Rated Film: $208.8 million (Jurassic World)
• Top Holiday Opening Weekend**: $158 million (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
• #1 Movie Weekend Market Share: 84.5% of Top 12 (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
• Biggest Weekend Overall (Top 12 Gross): $266 million (June 12-14, 2015)
• Biggest December Weekend (Top 12 Gross): $259.9 million (Dec 25-27, 2009)

So if Saturday was between 65-68 million as is being reported we currently have:

Thursday: 57
Friday: 63.5
Saturday: 65-68

185.5+ million heading into Sunday.

Only needs 23.4 to be #1.

Crazy thing is it still has a massive 3 day weekend waiting for it. Christmas Day is always a huge moviegoing day, and the competition won't be too stiff.

It might not beat the international opening weekend record, but only because it doesn't open in China for another few weeks.
All the other records should be gone by end of day today.

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Crazy thing is it still has a massive 3 day weekend waiting for it. Christmas Day is always a huge moviegoing day, and the competition won't be too stiff.

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yeah most blockbuster movies that open the week before xmas have a smaller than normal dropoff for week 2....

Avatar had 77 million first weekend and then 75.6 million on xmas weekend.
The Hobbit 3 had 54 millions and then 41 million on xmas weekend - and that story was getting old

Calling it $238M.

http://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/star-wars-force-awakens-box-office-records-1201665753/

Did not beat the worldwide opening record.

True, but JW opened in China its first weekend. TFA did not. With China TFA easily wins.

I think it makes ~$20-$25MM a day this week and then another $150MM-$175MM next weekend. It's liable to do those same numbers the week between Christmas and New Years.

If the low end of my estimates come true it's sitting at $700MM on January 4th!

Are you saying that is the domestic number for next weekend? If so, not happening.

Worldwide, sure.

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Yeah, biggest second weekend is $106M, no way it does 150.

I see it doing great all week and maybe right around 100 next weekend.

Either way I see it easily making 400 by New Years weekend.

Avatar actually came out the exact same day in 2009, so it's a great apples-to-apples comparison. Here are the numbers to beat this week. (Avatar did even better in its second week, which is nuts.)

Monday
JW 25.3
Avatar 16.3

Tuesday
JW 24.3
Avatar 16

Wednesday
JW 19.8
Avatar 16.4

Thursday
JW 17.8
Avatar 11

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=avatar.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=jurassicpark4.htm

Yeah. A lot of the nerd load was blown this weekend, so from this point on it will be just a strong performer.
Will benefit more than most movies from repeat viewing, but this will still likely top out in the US around 700-750. And worldwide, I would doubt it crosses $2billion, like some predicted.

I stick with my earlier predictions - $700Mish dom/$1.7B WW

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Yeah. A lot of the nerd load was blown this weekend, so from this point on it will be just a strong performer.
Will benefit more than most movies from repeat viewing, but this will still likely top out in the US around 700-750. And worldwide, I would doubt it crosses $2billion, like some predicted.

I stick with my earlier predictions - $700Mish dom/$1.7B WW

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Perennial wet blanket prediction.

Still think it crosses $2B, but probably not much after that. I bet it tops out right around Titanic at $2.1B.

I think you are underestimating how big of a movie going week this is.

A $100MM second weekend is reflective of the decline of a big summer blockbuster with normal word of mouth.

The front loading of the fan boys is now complete. What will sustain it through this week and into the next two weeks will be SIGNIFICANT repeat viewing, word of mouth, and an A Cinemascore (A+ from key women demographic I might add).

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The front loading of the fan boys is now complete.

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When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master.

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Perennial wet blanket prediction.

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Not really.

Stars Wars is BIG, HUGE even, but it is very much a "West" movie - it plays best in the US and Western European countries.

It will be big in Japan and China, but not like recent blockbusters - JW, Transformers 4,etc.

Do not cry for Disney. They will make a **** ton from the box office and quadruple **** ton from toys and other tie ins.

I think I saw that Disney's projected to make another $2B off of toys.

What's being lost in this is the fact that this is all going on in December, not May. That makes it even more stunning, that a non-Christmas December release is crushing the records of summer blockbusters.

Honestly, I could see Ep VIII in May doing even better. This thing is getting near universal love and all the kids that weren't familiar with it will now be intrigued to watch the next one on opening weekend.

This movie is great but it almost feels like a tease for what's to come.

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I think I saw that Disney's projected to make another $2B off of toys.

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Forbes:
Analysts predict Star Wars merch will generate some $3 billion in sales in 2015, and $5 billion over the next 12 months.

Something that hasn't been mentioned - theater average is $57k. That's almost $10k per theater more than JW, the current record holder.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/theateravg.htm?page=THTRAWOPN&p=.htm

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I think I saw that Disney's projected to make another $2B off of toys.

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Forbes:
Analysts predict Star Wars merch will generate some $3 billion in sales in 2015, and $5 billion over the next 12 months.

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HOLY ****SNACKS......

um, yes impressive. but it did not win the weekend worldwide.

also kind of stupid with iron man there, as Disney wins the monies with both.

just being accurate there.

AND, just to add one last thing... These kind of numbers were expected from Star Wars. The impressive feat for JW was NOT expected (and that was a rather mediocre movie) that just blew up for some reason.

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um, yes impressive. but it did not win the weekend worldwide.

also kind of stupid with iron man there, as Disney wins the monies with both.

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It didn't open in THE MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. Not a good comparison.

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um, yes impressive. but it did not win the weekend worldwide.

also kind of stupid with iron man there, as Disney wins the monies with both.

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It didn't open in THE MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. Not a good comparison.

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Granted. But it does not change the actual record itself.

Adding: There is still the possibility, once everything is added up, that TFA wins Intl as well.

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um, yes impressive. but it did not win the weekend worldwide.

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Again, only because it wasn't released in China yet. That sort of thing is the reason that mostly they size the domestic numbers against each other for better apples to apples. It crushed all competition in common markets, including summer blockbusters. This couldn't be going any better for Lucasfilm/Disney.

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um, yes impressive. but it did not win the weekend worldwide.

also kind of stupid with iron man there, as Disney wins the monies with both.

just being accurate there.

AND, just to add one last thing... These kind of numbers were expected from Star Wars. The impressive feat for JW was NOT expected (and that was a rather mediocre movie) that just blew up for some reason.

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Who said it did? Already said it didn't. Not sure what the point of your post is other than to argue against every post made in this thread.

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Who said it did? Already said it didn't. Not sure what the point of your post is other than to argue against every post made in this thread.

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I was commenting specifically your post with the picture of the dead dinosaur, rightly indicating that yes, TFA beat JW domestically, but not internationally.

It is not arguing jack ****. It was a factual observation in regards to the picture.

A fact that had already been pointed out in this thread, and that has nothing to do with the picture, but sure.

Disney is going full on ad blitz in China leading up to release. Pretty sure they'll cross 2 billion with that and the repeat viewings.

Obviously, Sunday showings aren't over yet, but I just heard on the news that it was up to $238 Million!