Star Wars VII Crosses the Billion-dollar Mark

“It’s absolutely mind-blowing that “Star Wars” could get to a billion dollars in 12 days and it hasn’t even opened in China, the second biggest movie market in the world”.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has become the fastest film to take $1bn (£674m) at the global box office. Buoyed by a day-and-date release in China — where it debuted to almost $100 million — Jurassic World was the previous record-holder at 13 days.

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens already surpassed Jurassic World as the biggest release in history with $529 million worldwide.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has grossed $544 million in North America since it was released in North America ten days ago. The record was previously held by Jurassic World.

Finding an audience through all the lightsabers and Stormtroopers was “Daddy’s Home”, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, for a second-place finish. One can’t help but wonder if Disney is reconsidering that decision, since the Christmas holiday has proven so ideal for Star Wars box office.

But there were other movies at the multiplex this weekend.

The new Star Wars movie takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, it stars some of the original cast which include Harrison Ford, Carrier Fisher and Mark Hamill, plus newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. And the fifth was “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”, with US$12.7mil in ticket earnings.

On Christmas Day alone, Ip Man 3 had grossed more $765,000, setting the record as the highest-grossing Chinese movie in a single day in Singapore.

Compared to projections, Daddy’s Home and Joy opened ahead of Gitesh’s respective $24M and $17M forecasts while both Concussion and Point Break debuted on target with his predictions of $11M and $9M respectively.

Fox also scored with “Joy”, a rag-tag biopic about the creator of the Miracle Mop, ‘ that earned $17.5 million (roughly Rs. 115 crores) from 2,896 theaters.

“In “The Force Awakens” I want to tell a brand new story with new characters”, said director J.J. Abrams.