‘Star Wars’ Pushes Box Office to $11 Billion for First Time

Disney executives released Star Wars: “The Force Awakens earlier this month (18Dec15), and speaking during an interview with USA newsman Charlie Rose, George made an awkward joke about handing over the film franchise, laughing, ?I sold them to the white slavers”.

With Tuesday’s totals, the 2015 domestic box office has crossed the $11 billion mark for the first time in history, according to measurement company Rentrak.

FILE – In this April 17, 2015 file photo, George Lucas attends the Tribeca Talks: Director Series during the Tribeca Film Festival at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, in NY. Disney has laid plans for two more “Star Wars” films and three anthology films set in the Star Wars universe over the next few years.

Lucas concluded by adding: “Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy”.

The film has done well overseas as well, hitting $627 million so far and bringing its worldwide to $1.228 billion.

During the interview, the director discussed his reservations about the direction Disney has taken with The Force Awakens, saying: “They wanted to do a retro movie”.

But Lucas told Rose that he didn’t much care for the movie.

He explained: “Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different”.

“The Force Awakens” plays homage to Lucas’ original trilogy and has garnered largely positive reviews from fans and critics alike. “I made them completely different with different planets, with different spaceships, make it new”.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the first film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie and Max von Sydow.