Page 29 - Aruba Today
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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Monday 28 December 2015
‘Force Awakens’ becomes fastest movie to $1 billion
SANDY COHEN This photo shows a scene from the new film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The movie releases weekend. “Concussion,”
AP Entertainment Writer the Will Smith-NFL drama,
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Star in the U.S. on Dec. 18, 2015. (Film Frame/Copyright Lucasfilm 2015 via AP) took in $11 million, good for
Wars: The Force Awakens” sixth place, followed by the
has reached $1 billion at has been setting records in 10 days, another global meant the rest of the financial-crisis saga “The
the box office, reaching since its debut Dec. 17. It record. week’s releases were com- Big Short,” which collected
the milestone with record- brought in a galactic $238 “You almost have to re- peting for second place. $10.5 million. The remake of
setting hyper speed. million in North America write all the record books That prize went to the Par- “Point Break” opened with
The Walt Disney Co. said over its opening weekend, for this movie,” box office amount comedy “Daddy’s $10.2 million. And Quentin
“The Force Awakens” besting previous record- analyst Paul Dergarabedi- Home,” which opened Tarantino’s latest film, “The
crossed the billion-dollar setter “Jurassic World,” an of Rentrak said. “It’s ab- with $38.8 million, accord- Hateful Eight,” debuted in
mark Sunday, accom- and set international solutely mind-blowing that ing to studio estimates Sun- 10th place with $4.5 million.
plishing the feat in just 12 opening-weekend records ‘Star Wars’ could get to day. David O. Russell’s new A juggernaut like “Star
days. The previous movie in Australia, New Zealand a billion dollars in 12 days drama starring Jennifer Wars” empowers the entire
to reach $1 billion the fast- and throughout Europe. It and it hasn’t even opened Lawrence, “Joy,” debuted industry, Dergarabedian
est was Universal’s “Juras- scored the biggest world- in China, the second big- in third place with $17.5 said.
sic World,” which did it in wide debut with $529 mil- gest movie market in the million. “It’s great for the audienc-
13 days in June. “Jurassic lion. It also topped $100 world.” A flurry of new films also es, great for studios and
World” also had the bene- million in IMAX screenings The power of “Star Wars” opened in the top 10 this theater owners in particu-
fit of record grosses in Chi- lar who can point to this
na. “The Force Awakens” and say the movie theater
doesn’t open in the world’s industry is as viable and rel-
second-largest movie mar- evant as it’s ever been,”
ket until Jan. 9. he said.
J.J. Abrams’ installment Estimated ticket sales for
of “Star Wars” also posted Friday through Sunday at
the biggest Christmas Day U.S. and Canadian the-
box office in history with aters, according to Rent-
$49.3 million and the best rak. Final domestic figures
second-weekend earnings will be released Monday.
with $153.5 million. 1. “Star Wars: The Force
“The Force Awakens” Awakens,” $153.5 million.q
