The Disney blockbuster became just the fourth film to open above $200m in the US. Aside from The Force Awakens ($248.8m), the others are The Avengers ($207.4m) and Jurassic World ($208.8m).

The Last Jedi is off to a similar start overseas, too, with $230m in international ticket sales, said Disney. That brings its three-day global haul to $450m. The film topped the box-office charts in a number of territories, including the UK, Germany and Japan.

The opening also gave the Walt Disney Company the opportunity to flex its muscles on the heels of the deal announced last week for it to purchase 21st Century Fox for $52.4bn. As part of the deal, Disney will take control of 20th Century Fox, one of Hollywood’s six major studios.

“The weekend that we’re in is a byproduct of the foresight and vision from our CEO Bob Iger to bring Lucasfilm into the fold,” said Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis, alluding to Disney’s 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm. “So as we think about the possibility of other things being added, you can’t help but be excited about the possibilities.”

Fox, as it happens, was the only studio to open another new wide-release film against The Last Jedi in the US. Its animated comedy, Ferdinand, grossed $13.3m. Another family film, Pixar’s Coco, took third place, bringing its four-week total to over $150m.

While JJ Abrams’ reboot capitalised on a decade’s hiatus for Star Wars, Johnson’s sequel didn’t have the same benefit of freshness. It follows not only The Force Awakens (which ultimately grossed $2.1bn) but last year’s spinoff, Rogue One. That release opened with $155.1m, and grossed in total just more than $1bn globally. Critics gave Johnson’s film a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences endorsed it, too, with an A CinemaScore.

Signalling its faith in Johnson’s course for Star Wars, Lucasfilm earlier announced that Johnson will develop the next trilogy for the franchise, the first of which he’ll write and direct. Abrams is set to return to direct Episode IX after he was brought in to replace Colin Trevorrow. A separate spinoff, centred on a young Han Solo, is due out next summer.

The massive debut for The Last Jedi singlehandedly brightens what has been a disappointing year for Hollywood. The weekend was far and away the highest grossing of the year. According to comScore, the industry was down about 3.9% from last year, before this weekend. Now it’s 2.9% off the 2016 pace. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, estimates the year will end about 2% down with a little over $11bn in ticket sales.

–

Source: Guardian UK

The post Star Wars: The Last Jedi scores second-biggest film opening ever appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.