The Last Jedi has second-biggest opening weekend in history
LOS ANGELES — The eighth chapter in the “Star Wars” movie series, “The Last Jedi,” made the jump to box office hyperspace over the weekend, selling $450 million US in tickets worldwide and affirming Disney’s strategy for rebooting the 40-year-old franchise for a new generation of fans.
Benefiting from stellar reviews and wall-to-wall marketing, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” collected an estimated $220 million in North America theatres — about 4,232, some of which offered screenings around the clock. The domestic opening total was the second-highest on record, even after adjusting for inflation, falling just 11 per cent short of the $248 million in initial ticket sales for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015.
“Star Wars” has long been in a league of its own, and “The Last Jedi,” directed by relative newcomer Rian Johnson, was always expected to arrive as a blockbuster. The question was how big of one.
“The Force Awakens” had benefited from unique circumstances. Pent-up demand was off the charts: It was the first “Star Wars” movie in 32 years with performances by fan favourites like Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). “The Force Awakens,” directed by J.J. Abrams, a star in his own right, was also the first “Star Wars” movie pushed through Walt Disney Co.’s vaunted marketing system. (Disney bought Lucasfilm, the “Star Wars” studio, in 2012.)
As a result, analysts expected “The Last Jedi” to generate roughly $200 million in opening-weekend ticket sales in the United States and Canada, or about 20 per cent less than its predecessor.
“We came in thinking that anything close to 200 was going to be an absolute win,” Dave Hollis, Disney’s president of theatrical distribution, said by phone on Sunday.
“The result we got is a reflection on Rian Johnson, who delivered a satisfying fan experience. Word of mouth has been enormous.”
“The Last Jedi,” which cost roughly $350 million to make and market, arrived to betterthan-expected turnout even as moviegoers avoided higherpriced 3-D screenings — an ongoing trend in the movie business, especially for films that draw large family audiences. (The glasses don’t fit little faces.) The 3-D format accounted for 30 per cent of ticket sales for “The Last Jedi,” according to Disney, down from 47 per cent for “The Force Awakens.”