‘Star Wars’ hits $50 million-plus Thursday night

The previous opening day record grossed $91 million and was held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 which opened in 2011. The Force Awakens shattered its first record with advanced ticket sales, reportedly selling eight times as many tickets than the previous record holder, The Hunger Games, to the tune of million.

That’s right, in case you were thinking about Jar Jar Binks and midi-chlorians, or how J.J. Abrams’s last film, Star Trek Into Darkness, makes less sense the more you think about it, I am here to reassure you: Force Awakens does not suck! Greenfield said the success of Force Awakens would not offset the impact of subscriber losses at ESPN.

Whatever the end number is, it’s highly likely we’re looking at a record-breaking weekend.

“It brings everyone together over storytelling, certain moral values or just having a great time”, Justin Bechtold, 23, of Tustin said of the films. Odeon, for example, has imposed a ticket surcharge of up to £2. That includes the biggest single day ever in the United Kingdom, where it made an estimated $14.4 million.

According to industry journal Screen International, though, such an outcome “remains a distinct possibility” given the film’s current box office performance.

Disney also projects a likely $200 million opening weekend, with the possibility of passing Jurassic World’s record-setting $208.8 million opening weekend.

The latest instalment in the dinosaur theme park franchise made nearly $209m (£140m) in its first three days on North American release in June.

“Force Awakens” opened in 12 global markets on Wednesday and expanded to 32 others on Thursday.

Strong reviews for the film, which is set 30 years after “Return of the Jedi“, have added to the fervor for “The Force Awakens”.

Critics lavished praise on Force Awakens, which features newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac alongside original stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.