'Force Awakens' passes $1B at global box office
The Force is strong with this one.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens blasted into box-office hyperspace its second weekend, pulling in an additional $153.5 million to repeat at No. 1 and crossing $1 billion worldwide in record time, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak.
Force handily surpasses the second-week take of Jurassic World ($106.6 million) in June for the biggest second weekend ever. Last week, the sci-fi blockbuster stomped all over Jurassic's record-breaking $208.8 million opening with a historic $247.9 million to become the biggest first weekend ever.
"Right now, the record books need to be written in pencil, because we keep having to erase to put in new numbers for Star Wars," says Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. Fueled by social media chatter and return viewings, Force's astronomic box office "is a testament to the power of the moviegoing experience. If the movie didn't deliver the way that it does, we wouldn't be seeing these kinds of numbers."
The movie, playing in more than 4,100 locations, dropped just 38% since last weekend. It set a record for best Christmas Day box office with $49.3 million, topping Sherlock Holmes' $24.6 million in 2009.
Globally, Force earned $286.8 million its second weekend, pushing it past the $1 billion mark ($544.6 million U.S., $546 million internationally) in just 12 days — and that's before it opens in China on Jan. 9. It could easily remain at No. 1 well into early 2016, Dergarabedian predicts, adding that "the sky's the limit now."
Directed by J.J. Abrams, the seventh Star Wars film teams franchise veterans Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher with newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac. The movie's success is bolstered by strong reviews (94% fresh on aggregate site RottenTomatoes.com) and audience reception (91% approval rating).
Although far behind, Daddy's Home overperformed with $38.8 million in second place. Starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, the PG-13 comedy was trashed by critics (28% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes), but earned a more promising response from moviegoers (a B-plus at CinemaScore).
David O. Russell's Joy mopped up $17.5 million for No. 3. A loose biopic of Miracle Mop mogul Joy Mangano, Joy further solidifies the box-office draw of star Jennifer Lawrence, who is nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best comedy actress for her performance.
Rounding out the top five, holdovers Sisters and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip held steady. The Tina Fey and Amy Poehler sibling comedy pulled in an additional $13.9 million ($37.1 million total) for fourth, while family film Alvin drove $12.7 million ($39.4 million) for fifth.
Of the other new openings, NFL drama Concussion starring Will Smith came in at No. 6 with a solid $11 million, while Quentin Tarantino's new The Hateful Eight pulled a huge $4.5 million in only 100 theaters before it expands nationwide Dec. 31. In four theaters, Leonardo DiCaprio's awards hopeful The Revenant made $471,000 for a per-screen average of nearly $118,000.
Final numbers are expected Monday.
