LOS ANGELES:

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is set to be the biggest hit of the holiday movie season and one of the biggest blockbusters of this or any year.

The space opera is poised to open to between $120 million to $150 million domestically this weekend. It should add another $150 million to that tally from foreign territories when it opens in nearly every important moviegoing market save for China and South Korea. Of course, this comes with a caveat. When movies open at these levels, it can be difficult to accurately project ticket sales. There’s a lot of predictive room between huge and massive.

Domestically, “Rogue One’ will likely put up the second-largest December opening in history, behind the $248 million debut of “The Force Awakens.”

Most other studios are simply letting “Rogue One” blot out the sun, and steering clear of its opening weekend. But “Collateral Beauty,” a tear-jerker with Will Smith, will attempt to siphon off some older moviegoers whose eyes glaze over at the mention of midi-chlorians. The New Line and Warner Bros release is eyeing a $12.5 million opening as it hopes to establish a toehold before the holiday movie season begins in earnest. “Collateral Beauty” cost roughly $35 million to produce.

Paramount will also release “Fences,” Denzel Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s acclaimed play about a domineering father, in four theaters. (RTRS)