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 The first "Star Wars" film in a decade recorded the biggest
domestic opening in Hollywood's history, collecting $238 million
over the weekend in the United States and Canada. It also set
records in Britain, Australia, Russia and elsewhere as fans
embraced a new chapter in the galactic battle between good and
evil.
Thousands joined a mock lightsaber battle in Los Angeles, where
an Australian couple married in line for the film. President
Obama ended a news conference on Friday saying he needed to head
to a White House screening of the movie, and presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton closed Saturday's Democratic debate
saying, "May the Force be with you."
"I don't think ever in the history of movies has their been more
hype leading up to release of a film," said Jeff Bock, senior
box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. "This is a huge,
huge win."
The film's financial and critical success mark a victory for
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger's strategy of acquiring proven
brands, including Pixar Animation and comic book powerhouse
Marvel, to fuel Disney's entertainment empire.
Disney purchased "Star Wars" producer Lucasfilm for $4 billion
in 2012 as part of his bet on big-budget films.
Movie theater attendance in the United States and Canada, the
world's largest film market, has barely changed in a decade as
online and mobile platforms exploded. Subscribers to Disney's
sports powerhouse, ESPN, have shrunk, a much-noted sign of
pressure on traditional media. The turnout for "Star Wars" is an
encouraging result for Disney, rival media companies and movie
theaters.
"We have so many options for entertainment, yet look at where
everyone is flocking this weekend - to the multiplex," said Paul
Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at box office tracking firm
Rentrak. "Disney has this down to a science."
Global sales for "Force Awakens" finished second only to the
dinosaur film "Jurassic World," which in its June opening
garnered $525 million worldwide, including China, where the
"Star Wars" film will not open for weeks. "Jurassic World" took
$208.8 million at domestic theaters in its first weekend.
"Force Awakens" is the seventh installment in the epic
science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas in 1977.
Filmgoers reveled in the return to the "Star Wars" galaxy,
dressing as Jedi or Sith, carrying lightsabers and cheering when
classic characters such as Princess Leia or Chewbacca appeared
on screen. Theaters added showtimes to meet demand.
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Disney plans four "Star Wars" movies through 2019, plus major
expansions at its U.S. theme parks to incorporate the droids,
spaceships and otherworldly creatures of the universe Lucas
invented. "Force Awakens" toys, clothing, home accessories and video
games already pervade stores ahead of Christmas.
A Reuters Breakingviews analysis last week calculated that Disney
may be on track to triple its Lucasfilm investment and earn an
average of $669 million off the franchise in each of the next six
years.
Nostalgia, plus a carefully planned, months-long release of film
trailers and character profiles boosted interest. Disney, which
spent more than $200 million to make "Force Awakens," also created
intrigue by keeping the plot largely secret.
Critics lauded the movie's throwback feel, doses of humor and the
performances of newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac.
Audiences awarded an "A" grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
Disney took steps to attract more women and girls to the series,
including casting Ridley as the star and running commercials during
shows such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." Forty-two percent
of the weekend's domestic audience was female, Disney said.
"Force Awakens" could become the highest-grossing movie of all time,
box office analysts said. "Avatar" holds that title with $2.8
billion in global sales.
The wild card is China, the world's second-largest movie market,
where "Force Awakens" opens Jan. 9. The last "Star Wars" movie in
2005 collected just $9 million there. Disney made an effort to build
buzz, placing 500 miniature Stormtroopers at the Great Wall and
striking a deal to stream the six earlier "Star Wars" films through
video service Tencent.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Alan Crosby and Richard
Chang)
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