“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” torched record books this weekend as audiences flocked to see J.J. Abrams’ reverent take on the return of the Jedi.
The film, with a $200 million budget and millions more spent on marketing, represented a big gamble for the Walt Disney Company, which had already plunked down $4 billion for rights to the Skywalker clan. It’s a bet that appears to have paid off, establishing new benchmarks for the movie industry and setting the franchise up for future spinoffs, prequels and installments.
Here’s a look at some of the records “The Force Awakens” now owns.
-Biggest domestic debut with $238 million
(Previous record: “Jurassic World” with $208.8 million)
-Second-biggest global debut with $517 million
(Record holder: “Jurassic World” with $524.9 million)
-Biggest Thursday preview gross with $57 million
(Previous record holder: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” with $43.5 million)
-First film to post single-day gross over $100 million
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-Fastest film to $100 million and $200 million
(Previous record holder: “Jurassic World” on both counts)
-Biggest December debut
(Previous record: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” with $84.6 million)
-Highest per-theater average for a wide release with $57,568
(Previous record: “Jurassic World” with $48,855)
-Biggest opening weekend of all time in U.K., Russia, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Serbia and New Zealand
-Biggest Imax debut with $48 million
-Most pre-sales with over $100 million
(Previous record: “The Dark Knight Rises” with $25 million)
-Best Friday gross with $120.5 million
(Previous record: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” with $91.1 million)
-Third best Saturday gross with $68.7 million
(Record holders: “Jurassic World” with $69.6 and “Marvel’s The Avengers” with $69.5 million)
-Best opening for a “Star Wars” film
(Previous record: “Revenge of the Sith” with $108.4 million)
