‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Opens Today

This all comes after studio estimates showed that The Force Awakens exploded out of the box office at Thursday night previews, taking a record $57 million.

“Force Awakens” surpassed the previous opening-day record of $43.5 million set in 2011 by the final “Harry Potter” movie. The Force Awakens’s opening weekend is only the first test to see whether the film will satisfy Disney investors and film buffs alike.

Millions of Star Wars fans went to a galaxy far far away Thursday night as they were some of the first to see the latest, highly anticipated Star Wars movie.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set 30 years after the Galactic Empire was defeated, and has broken the record for most tickets sold on Fandango in site history.

“The Force Awakens”, which has had its legions of fans frothing at the mouth ever since its mooted release, has grossed at least $130 million worldwide since it opened overseas on Wednesday, setting records in Britain, Germany, Norway and Sweden. Plus, there are still lots of ways for “Star Wars” fans to dress up and have fun. “It’s definitely a movie that’s caught and held on more than I think anything else”, said Metal Designz owner Shelley Hubbs.

Experts believe the space adventure flick could even beat Skyfall, which is the highest-grossing movie in the United Kingdom and Ireland, after it made nearly £103m domestically.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is already showing in Australia. Some waited in line for hours and came dressed in Star Wars attire to give them the ultimate experience.

They join newbies such as main stars Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, as well as Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, who plays the new villain Kylo Ren.

Disney said in August 2015 it planned to build Star Wars Land at its California Disneyland and Florida Walt Disney World parks, with new attractions celebrating the franchise.