{"id":139902,"date":"2017-12-18T01:19:16","date_gmt":"2017-12-18T06:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=139902"},"modified":"2017-12-18T01:19:16","modified_gmt":"2017-12-18T06:19:16","slug":"the-last-jedi-opens-with-220m-2nd-best-weekend-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/12\/18\/the-last-jedi-opens-with-220m-2nd-best-weekend-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Last Jedi’ opens with $220M, 2nd best weekend all time"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\u201cThe<\/a>
\u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d is off to a similar start overseas, too, with $230 million in international ticket sales, said Disney. (Photo<\/a>: Star Wars: The Last Jedi\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW YORK\u2014 \u201cStar Wars: The Last Jedi\u201d will happily settle for second.<\/p>\n

Rian Johnson’s second installment in the third \u201cStar Wars\u201d trilogy rocketed to a debut of $220 million at the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. That gives \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d the second-best opening ever, slotting in behind only its predecessor, \u201cThe Force Awakens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Disney blockbuster became just the fourth film to open above $200 million domestically. Aside from \u201cThe Force Awakens\u201d ($248.8 million), the others are \u201cThe Avengers\u201d ($207.4 million) and \u201cJurassic World\u201d ($208.8 million). Accounting for inflation, the debut of 2012’s \u201cThe Avengers\u201d would roughly tie with \u201cThe Last Jedi.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d is off to a similar start overseas, too, with $230 million in international ticket sales, said Disney. That brings its three-day global haul to $450 million.<\/p>\n

The opening also gave the Walt Disney Co. the opportunity to flex its muscles on the heels of the deal announced Thursday for it to purchase 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion. As part of the deal, Disney will take control of 20th Century Fox, one of Hollywood’s six major studios.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weekend that we’re in is a byproduct of the foresight and vision from our CEO Bob Iger to bring Lucasfilm into the fold,\u201d said Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis, alluding to Disney’s 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm. \u201cSo as we think about the possibility of other things being added, you can’t help but be excited about the possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fox, as it happens, was the only studio to open another new wide-release film against \u201cThe Last Jedi.\u201d Its family film, \u201cFerdinand,\u201d was essentially stampeded by \u201cThe Last Jedi,\u201d grossing $13.3 million. \u201cFerdinand\u201d and other upcoming holiday season releases will look for more room in the coming weeks, once the \u201cStar Wars\u201d tsunami has waned.<\/p>\n

While Abrams’ reboot capitalized on a decade’s hiatus for \u201cStar Wars,\u201d Johnson’s sequel didn’t have the same benefit of freshness. It follows not only \u201cThe Force Awakens\u201d (which ultimately grossed $2.1 billion) but last year’s spinoff, \u201cRogue One.\u201d That release opened with $155.1 million, and grossed in total little more than $1 billion globally.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who wrote and directed, instead aimed to distinguish \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d by introducing some new tones to George Lucas’ space opera. \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d is more irreverent than previous chapters. And it has drawn plaudits for its diverse cast, including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results speak to the power of representation,\u201d said Hollis. \u201cThe film really reflects our world and beyond. It becomes something people can see themselves in, whether they see themselves in Rey or Finn or Poe or Rose or Captain Phasma. They can relate to all those characters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson’s approach has seemed to work. Critics gave Johnson’s film a 93 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences endorsed it, too, with an A CinemaScore, though not all fans are on board with Johnson’s innovations. As of Sunday, \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d has scored a dismal 56 per cent rating from some 95,000 Rotten Tomato users.<\/p>\n

Yet the haul for \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d dwarfed most all releases in the two years since \u201cThe Force Awakens.\u201d By comparison, it has in three days already bested the five-week gross of Warner Bros.’ \u201cJustice League\u201d ($219.5 million).<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing a movie like this in the movie theatre, getting the collective goose bumps and having the OMG-moments, that’s something you cannot replicate at home on the small screen,\u201d said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. \u201cRian Johnson has made a movie that showcases the movie theatre experience in a truly brilliant way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Signalling its faith in Johnson’s course for \u201cStar Wars,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

The massive debut for \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d 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 per cent from last year before this weekend. Now it’s 2.9 per cent off the 2016 pace. Dergarabedian estimates the year will end about 2 per cent down with a little over $11 billion in ticket sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d may be playing the role of saviour at the box office, but the news isn’t all rosy for exhibitors. Given the demand, Disney put more onerous demands on some theatre owners for \u201cThe Last Jedi,\u201d including a higher percentage 65 per cent of ticket sales. And Disney’s acquisition of Fox is seen by analysts as a bid, in part, to strengthen the studio’s in-development streaming platform, set to debut in 2019.<\/p>\n

Disney and Fox combined for five of the top 10 movies on the weekend and together accounted for approximately 90 per cent of ticket sales.<\/p>\n

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cThe Last Jedi,\u201d $220 million ($230 million international).<\/li>\n
  2. \u201cFerdinand,\u201d $13.3 million ($6.2 million international).<\/li>\n
  3. \u201cCoco,\u201d $10 million ($27.4 million international).<\/li>\n
  4. \u201cWonder,\u201d $5.4 million ($9.4 million international).<\/li>\n
  5. \u201cJustice League,\u201d $4.2 million ($5.3 million international).<\/li>\n
  6. \u201cDaddy’s Home 2,\u201d $3.8 million ($5.8 million international).<\/li>\n
  7. \u201cThor: Ragnarok,\u201d $3 million ($1.1 million international).<\/li>\n
  8. \u201cThe Disaster Artist,\u201d $2.6 million.<\/li>\n
  9. \u201cMurder on the Orient Express,\u201d $2.5 million ($10.8 million international).<\/li>\n
  10. \u201cLady Bird,\u201d $2.1 million.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u201cThe Last Jedi,\u201d $230 million.<\/li>\n
    2. \u201cYouth,\u201d $44 million.<\/li>\n
    3. \u201cThe Thousand Faces of Dunjia,\u201d $27.9 million.<\/li>\n
    4. \u201cCoco,\u201d $27.4 million.<\/li>\n
    5. \u201cSteel Rain,\u201d $11.6 million.<\/li>\n
    6. \u201cMurder on the Orient Express,\u201d $10.8 million.<\/li>\n
    7. \u201cPaddington 2,\u201d $9.7 million.<\/li>\n
    8. \u201cWonder,\u201d $9.4 million.<\/li>\n
    9. \u201cFerdinand,\u201d $6.2 million.<\/li>\n
    10. \u201cDaddy’s Home 2, \u201c $5.8 million.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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