New ‘Star Wars’ grosses $120 mn to break first-day record

“The Force Awakens” could not trump “Jurassic World’s” record worldwide debut of $524.9 million, but that film also benefited from an opening in China where it made more than $90 million in its first weekend of release. The Walt Disney Co. earnings destroy the previous opening record set by Jurassic World, which drew $208.8 million this summer. Through Friday, worldwide ticket sales had reached $129.5 million, as the movie set opening-day records in Britain, Germany, Australia, Brazil and other countries.

A gaggle of Stormtroopers and the droid R2-D2 were spotted in the West Wing on Friday – there was a screening of “Star Wars” for people who lost family in the Iraq war.

The latest film in the “Star Wars” franchise stars veterans Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, along with newcomers Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis and Domhnall Gleeson. Disney said theaters were adding showtimes to meet “unprecedented demand”.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest also appeared unannounced at the lectern of the briefing room, flanked by Stormtroopers.

Most directors would jump at the chance of directing a Star Wars movie, but JJ Abrams said “no” when he was offered the film the first time because he did not want to be seen as “the guy who does sequels”. By Disney’s estimates, “The Force Awakens” – the widest December opening ever with 4,134 theatres – blew past that number by Friday afternoon.

A lot is riding on the film for Disney, which paid $4.06 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012. Whether “The Force Awakens” can come close to the global hauls of those films ($2.8 billion for “Avatar” and $2.2 billion for “Titanic“) won’t be clear for weeks.

Disney plans four “Star Wars” movies through 2019, plus major expansions at its USA theme parks to incorporate the droids, spaceships and otherworldly creatures of the universe Lucas invented.

But so far, “The Force Awakens” is attracting the interest of seemingly everyone.

Even the White House was getting into the “Star Wars” hoopla.