Star Wars Takes Jurassic World’s Record

The producer of the dinosaur film congratulates Disney after JJ Abrams’ film has the best ever opening weekend.

STAR Wars: The Force Awakens has set a global opening weekend record, beating the previous record holder Jurassic World, to rake in $529m (£355m).

“With final numbers now in, Star Wars: The Force Awakens rose above estimates to post an all-time industry-high $248m (£166m) domestically, plus $281m (£188m) internationally for an all-time record global debut of $529m since opening December 16,” Disney said in a statement.

The figure does not include box office receipts from India or Greece where the movie opens this week, or from China where it opens on 9 January.

Jurassic World, starring Chris Pratt, previously held the record for global launch with $524.9m (£352m).

The film’s producer Frank Marshall tweeted a photo showing a T-Rex awarding a medal to The Force Awakens’ new droid BB-8.

He wrote: “Universal Pictures, Steven, Frank and Colin congratulate Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the biggest opening weekend in galactic history.”

“Our sole focus has been creating a film that delivers that one-of-a-kind Star Wars experience, and director JJ Abrams, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm team have outdone themselves,” Disney chairman Alan Horn said at the weekend.

The highly anticipated seventh instalment of the space saga has blazed a record-setting trail, taking the prize for highest-grossing domestic opening night with $57m and biggest domestic single-day sales Friday with $120.5m.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 previously held both records at $43.5m for an opening night and $91m for a first day.

“Star Wars is officially the biggest thing to happen in the known box office universe now that it has taken the best debuts records – domestic and worldwide – from Jurassic World,” said Jeff Bock, box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations.

Disney said the galactic success of the movie has already enabled the company to cross the $5bn mark in global box office receipts in a calendar year for the first time ever, surpassing the previous record of $4.73bn set in 2013.

Episode VII picks up the intergalactic story of good versus evil 30 years on from The Return Of The Jedi, the last episode of the original trilogy.

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill reprise their roles as Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker alongside newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.  news.sky.com

Top 10 Opening Weekends in the US

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens $248m

2. Jurassic World $209m

3. Marvel’s The Avengers $207m

4. Avengers: Age Of Ultron $191m

5. Iron Man 3 $174m

6. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 $169m

7. The Dark Knight Rises $161m

8. The Dark Knight $158.4m

9. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire $158m

10. The Hunger Games $152.5m