Page 29 - ATD19DEC2015

PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Saturday 19 December 2015

‘Force Awakens’ pulls in record $57M on opening night

This photo provided by Disney/Lucasfilm shows Daisy Ridley, right, as Rey, and BB-8, in a scene from the film, “Star Wars: The Force blocks, from Jakarta to Par-
is, to be among the first to
Awakens,” directed by J.J. Abrams. The movie has set a box office record with an estimated $57 million from Thursday night see “The Force Awakens”
(and hopefully avoid any
shows. (Film Frame/Disney/Lucasfilm via AP) spoilers from its intensely
guarded plot).
JAKE COYLE passed the previous Thurs- gle day ever in the United “Jurassic World,” which de- In North America, the film
AP Film Writer day night record of $43.5 Kingdom, where it made buted with $208.8 million in sold a record $100 million
NEW YORK (AP) — “Star million by 2011’s “Harry an estimated $14.4 million. June. J.J. Abrams’ seventh worth of presale tickets
Wars: The Force Awakens” Potter and the Deathly Hal- The film cost about $200 chapter in George Lucas’s before Thursday previews
has set a box office record lows: Part 2.” million to make, according space saga arrived with began at approximately
with an estimated $57 mil- The movie’s internation- to industry estimates. the kind of hoopla and 7 p.m. EST. Playing in 4,134
lion from Thursday night al rollout, which began The early figures suggest anticipation that few films theaters, “The Force Awak-
shows. Wednesday, has brought in “The Force Awakens” is on have ever matched. Cos- ens” is the widest Decem-
The Walt Disney Co.’s esti- a total of $72.7 million. That course to exceed the re- tumed, lightsaber-wielding ber release ever attempt-
mate on Friday easily sur- includes the biggest sin- cord domestic opening of fans have lined up around ed.
3-D and Imax screenings
are helping to propel the
record gross. Disney said
that 47 percent of the
box office came from 3-D
showings and $5.7 million
from Imax screens.
A lot is riding on the film for
Disney, which paid $4.06
billion for Lucasfilm in 2012.
Sequels and spinoffs are
already in development
for years to come, not to
mention an entire corner
of Disneyland devoted to
the franchise.q