JOLTIN’ ‘JEDI’!
Galactic $220M opening just short of record
A NEAR-RECORD number of moviegoers ventured out to a galaxy far, far away.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” earned $220 million in North American theaters — the secondbiggest opening weekend in movie history.
The largest opening weekend ever is the film’s 2015 predecessor, “The Force Awakens,” which earned $248 million.
The box office bonanza proved that the Force is stronger than ever in the “Star Wars” franchise.
“Seeing a movie like this in the movie theater, getting the collective goose bumps and having the OMG moments, that’s something you cannot replicate at home on the small screen,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore.
“The Last Jedi” is just the fourth movie to open to more than $200 million domestically. Rounding out the quartet is “The Force Awakens,” “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Jurassic World” ($208.8 million).
Director Rian Johnson’s latest addition to the storied space saga kicked off with an impressive haul, earning $45 million on opening night, which also goes down as the second-best of all time.
Mark Hamill, who reprises his role in Episode VIII as reluctant mentor Luke Skywalker, recently told the Daily News part of its appeal lies in the fact that the epic franchise has been reimagined for a new audience.
“What you have to understand . . . is it’s not mine anymore. And it’s not (producer) George (Lucas)’s anymore. These characters belong to a new generation, your generation, Rian’s generation. One that grew up loving the films and then making up their own,” he said.
Johnson’s take on the sci-fi series has been a hit with most critics and fans. A film review in The News found that he pulled off “a complete rejuvenation of the saga.”
Signaling its faith in Johnson’s course for the franchise, Lucasfilm earlier announced that Johnson will develop the next trilogy, the first of which he’ll write and direct.
Abrams is set to return to direct Episode IX.
A separate spinoff centered on a young Han Solo is due out next summer.
“You can’t help but be excited about the possibilities,” Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis said.