Early Predictions For ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Suggest $200+ Million Opening
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is nearly upon us, and it is time to predict how the mega-blockbuster is going to destroy the holiday box office.
Image via Star Wars.
BoxOffice Pro is predicting that the latest Star Wars film will earn $215 million in the opening weekend, which is $32 million less than The Force Awakens.
If this prediction is right, The Last Jedi will have the second highest opening of all-time. They also predict that the domestic total will be around $742 million, 20% less than The Force Awakens, which walked away with $936 million at the domestic box office.
The Force Awakens completed it’s theatrical run with $2 billion worldwide. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opened with $155 million, earned $532 million domestically, and ended it’s theatrical run with $1 billion worldwide. The Last Jedi will certainly do better than Rogue One.
The Rogue One and The Last Jedi are thematically and tonally similar, since the middle chapter of this new trilogy suggest there will be tons of destruction and deaths. With the untimely death of actress Carrie Fisher, many will descend upon the film to see Leia Organa one last time, and the curiosity of what will become of the character adds to the ominous tone of the film. The film also offers the return of Luke Skywalker who has change drastically since we last saw him in The Return of the Jedi, and rumours suggest he may be turing to dark. The Force Awakens has been criticized for being a near copy of A New Hope, but the change in director and the clear narrative shift in The Last Jedi will attract those who rejected the simplicity and repetitiveness of the first film.
Fandango, and various theatre chain websites crashed after The Last Jedi tickets became available, whether the opening weekend does better or worse than The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi will be making huge business.
Source: BoxOffice Pro. Box Office Mojo.
