The Force is strong with the latest Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker. Early numbers indicate that the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga has already earned $40 million from Thursday evening previews, providing it the fifth largest preview night ever. That’s just a million ahead of Avengers: Infinity War‘s $39 million take in 2018.
However, The Rise of Skywalker did come in below the previous preview numbers for the new trilogy. In 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens had an $57 million opening night. Two years later, Star Wars: The Last Jedi had $45 million in its first night.
Estimates indicate that The Rise of Skywalker could end up anywhere between $175 million and $215 million for the weekend. That’s well below the $247.9 million made by The Force Awakens and slightly below the $220 million The Last Jedi accumulated.
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The Rise of Skywalker has had a mixed response social media. Some fans are heralding the film as a strong conclusion to the Skywalker Saga; while others feel it’s a huge step backward. Currently, it holds a 58 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience rating is at 86%.
But if the current worldwide box office pace holds up, The Rise of Skywalker should have no trouble clearing $1 billion. That would make it the seventh Disney movie this year to reach that number, alongside Captain Marvel, The Lion King, and Avengers: Endgame, among others.
What do you think about The Rise of Skywalker‘s opening night box office? Let us know in the comment section below!
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