Star Wars opening weekend biggest ever

This would beat the record $208.8 million for Jurassic World in June, according to Disney.

“Force Awakens” surpassed the previous opening-day record of US$43.5 million set in 2011 by the final “Harry Potter” movie.

More important, with audiences in the US and most foreign countries embracing the movie, Disney is setting up “Star Wars” to be a success in many media for years to come, including annual big-screen sequels and spinoffs, merchandise, television shows and theme-park attractions.

“The Force Awakens” scored the biggest opening weekend in key markets including Britain ($48.9 million, four-day), Germany ($27.3 million), Australia ($18.9 million) and Russian Federation ($12.3 million). Well, now Disney execs are expecting The Force Awakens to clear $200 million.

It’s no surprise that Star Wars Episode VII is poised to have one of the greatest opening weekends in history.

That means “The Force Awakens” could also eclipse the global opening weekend record of $316.1 million by “Jurassic World” – along with the dino movie’s worldwide opening record of $524.9 million.

It also had the biggest single-day in sales for any movie, along with the biggest Friday a film has ever had with $120.5 million.

“The Force Awakens” picks up the intergalactic story of good versus evil 30 years on from “The Return of the Jedi”, the finale of the original trilogy. Tracking companies are suggesting that overall the film could bring in anywhere from $180 million to $220 million in North America overall in just the opening weekend. In addition to box office sales, the Star Wars franchise is expected to bring in billions in merchandise and home entertainment.

Nomura Securities analyst Anthony DiClemente, who rates Disney a “buy”, said he was more confident after seeing the movie that it could become the top-grossing film of all time. That strong word of mouth will help “The Force Awakens” attract the kind of repeat viewings that made James Cameron’s “Avatar” and “Titanic” the highest grossing films of all time.