Star Wars: The Force Awakens set to premiere across the U.S.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” set a Thursday night record, taking in between $50 and $55 million, according to Variety.

The 23-year-old newcomer earned her big break with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

People dressed in character pose outside the Grand Rex movie theater for photographers prior to a screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens ” in Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015.

Cineplex, one of the major theatre chains across North America expects Star Wars fans will consume almost five million cups of popcorn over the opening weekend and almost 750,000 cans of pop. My appreciation for the franchise has grown exponentially over the past year. Sure, it required a long wait, but two hours, instead of two weeks, in advance was good enough.

Movie ticket websites still have plenty of available tickets if you are looking to get a last minute Star Wars fix. Nostalgia was in full force on Thursday: The return of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia created an extra buzz outside theaters, as did the memories of the bonds forged over “Star Wars” in the past.

“I still have the toys, and I let him play with the toys when he was little”, he recalled.

But that sense of nostalgia is just part of it.

“It’s such an exciting thing to see if for the first time at opening night”, said Yale University student Hayley Kolding.

“My father brought me to the premiere in 1977 and I was in awe”, said Alan Ciders of Belle.

The much anticipated film directed by J.J. Abrams features favorite actors from the original series, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

That nostalgia worked for Tony Brennan, who said he “can’t get off of that high that I’m on” after seeing the film with the opening-night crowd in Hollywood. “It shaped my sense of wonder as a child and I’m excited to be here to see what they have done”.

“It’s going to be great, no matter what”, he said.