‘Star Wars The Force Awakens’ set to smash several box office records

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has finally arrived and fans across the globe now have a chance to experience the first Star Wars film in over ten years and anticipation couldn’t be higher. Among the interesting new details in the franchise and story is the box office performance.

Box Office Mojo analyzed the data and facts, beginning with the overseas release:

“The film landed on Wednesday in 12 international markets, generating $14.1 million including $5.2 million in France, $2 million in Italy and another $1.7 million in Sweden. Force Awakens arrives in 32 more international markets today, including Germany, UK, Russia, Australia, Korea, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico with Japan and Spain opening day-and-date with the U.S. release on Friday.”

The Force Awakens will already hold the record by opening in 4,134 theaters, a record number of theaters for a December opening. It has also broken advanced ticket sales with $100+ million (approximately $55 million of that attributed to the film’s opening weekend), besting the $25 million set by previous record holder The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.

Online ticketing service Fandango.com, which experienced technical difficulties as soon as advanced tickets went on sale, is reporting record ticket sales, with Force Awakens breaking Fandango’s record for the most tickets sold for any film during its entire theatrical run.

Records Force Awakens is looking to break as the domestic opening weekend:

• Largest Thursday Preshow: $43.5 million (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2*)
• Largest Friday, Opening Day, Single Day: $91 million (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)
• Largest Saturday: $69.6 million (Jurassic World)
• Largest Sunday: $57.2 million (Jurassic World)
• December Single Day: $37.13 million (The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey)
• December Opening Weekend: $84.62 million (The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey)
• Domestic Opening Weekend: $208.8 million (Jurassic World)
• International Opening Weekend: $316.1 million (Jurassic World)
• Global Opening Weekend: $524.9 million (Jurassic World)
• Highest Per Theater Average (Wide Opening): $48,855 / 4,274 theaters (Jurassic World)
• Top Opening Weekend for PG-13 Rated Film: $208.8 million (Jurassic World)
• Top Holiday Opening Weekend**: $158 million (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
• #1 Movie Weekend Market Share: 84.5% of Top 12 (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
• Biggest Weekend Overall (Top 12 Gross): $266 million (June 12-14, 2015)
• Biggest December Weekend (Top 12 Gross): $259.9 million (Dec 25-27, 2009)
• Fastest to $100 Million: 2 Days (Jurassic World)

* Midnight only
** Holiday is defined as the first Friday in November through New Year’s week or weekend.

Star Wars changed movies forever when the saga began back in 1977 and this newest installment enters a marketplace where the industry itself has changed, several times over, but expect the new film to smash most of these numbers.

$250 million opening weekend in the US is easily attainable and $1 million globally is not out of the realm of possibilities by Sunday. $1 billion globally in 7 days (the record is 13 by Jurassic World)?

Here’s box office mojo’s prediction:

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4,134 theaters) – $231,090,000
• Alvin and the Chipmunks The Road Chip (3,653 theaters) – $12,790,000
• Sisters (2,961 theaters) – $11,100,000
• The Good Dinosaur (2,755 theaters) – $6,700,000
• Creed (2,433 theaters) – $5,570,000
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2,653 theaters) – $5,480,000
• In the Heart of the Sea (3,103 theaters) – $5,310,000
• Krampus (2,370 theaters) – $4,040,000
• The Night Before (1,235 theaters) – $1,980,000
• Spectre (1.225 theaters) – $1,940,000