Latest 'Star Wars' passes $1 billion mark in third week: Disney

01 Jan 2018 / 11:46 H.

THE latest episode in Disney's colossally popular Star Wars series has passed the US$1 billion (RM4 billion) mark in worldwide revenues after just three weeks, a Disney spokesperson confirmed Sunday.
That helped provide a positive spin to what has been a year of ups and downs for Hollywood, while giving a clear boost to Disney, now the only studio to surpass US$5 billion (RM20 billion) globally for the last three years, according to Deadline.com.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is expected to surpass another Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, as the year's top-earning film. "Beauty" took in more than $500 million domestically and exceeded US$1.3 (RM5.2 billion) billion worldwide.
"Jedi" is expected to earn about $65.6 million over this four-day holiday weekend in North America, for a US$530.3 million (RM2.2 billion) total since its opening three weeks ago, said industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.
The space saga stars Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver and two members of the series' original cast, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and the late Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.
Its domestic earnings come on top of an international take estimated at US$523 million (RM2.1 billion) for this eighth episode in the series. Jedi is now the year's number one film in European theaters.
If the estimates are borne out, Jedi will be the eighth highest-grossing domestic movie of all time, according to Variety.com.
It opens in the enormous Chinese market on Friday.

A struggle to fill seats
Hollywood has had its struggles this year, however.
Based on early estimates, North American revenue is expected to reach about US$11.1 billion (RM45 billion), down more than two percent from the year before, industry analysts comScore reported.
With more people curling up to watch movies at home, theater attendance appears set to hit a 22-year low.
But in the meantime, holiday viewership provided a boost not just for Jedi but for Sony's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. That family adventure, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is expected to surge on Monday after trailing Jedi through most of the four-day weekend to earn a total US$67 million (RM272 million) in North America.
In third was Pitch Perfect 3 from Universal, at US$22.7 million (RM92 million) for the four days. The cast, led by Anna Kendrick, follows the continuing adventures of glee singers the Bellas.
Next was The Greatest Showman, from Fox, at US$20.3 million (RM82 million). The musical features Hugh Jackman as legendary circus impresario P.T. Barnum.
In fifth spot was the animated family feature Ferdinand, the story of a peaceful Spanish bull forced to take on the world's most famous bullfighter. The Fox film netted US$15.2 million (RM62 million). — AFP
Rounding out the top 10 were:
Coco ($8.8 million) (RM36 million)
Darkest Hour ($7.4 million) (RM30 million)
All the Money in the World ($7.2 million) (RM29 million)
Downsizing ($6.0 million) (RM24 million)
Father Figures ($5.5 million) (RM22 million)

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