`Star Wars: Last Jedi' Reaps $105 Million in Friday Opening
The initial box-office sales for “The Last Jedi” were 21 percent less than the 2015 Star Wars installment.
(Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co.’s latest “Star Wars” film is on track to post the second-biggest box office one-day takings on record, behind only its predecessor in the space saga.
Sales for “The Last Jedi” were estimated at $104.8 million on Friday, Disney said in an emailed statement. That would make it just the second film to pass $100 million in a single day behind “The Force Awakens.”
The earlier movie holds the record for single-day revenue thanks to pent-up demand, since it was the first film in the series in a decade.
“The Last Jedi” has been opening worldwide this week with the exception of China, where it debuts Jan. 5. The takings are ahead of Disney’s expectations: It initially estimated the movie would reap $99 million to $104 million on Friday.
In a previous forecast, Disney expected the new film to rake in $195 million to $215 million in its first three days. “The Force Awakens” holds the current record for opening-weekend sales outside the U.S. with $281 million.
--With assistance from Claire Boston and Christopher Palmeri
To contact the reporter on this story: Gerry Smith in New York at gsmith233@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, John McCluskey, Janet Ong
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