The latest chapter of the Star Wars saga kicked off its box office run this past Thursday, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi recording the second biggest Thursday preview takings in history in North America with over $45 million. The record of $57 million was set by its predecessor Star Wars: The Force Awakens back in 2015.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is tracking a domestic opening weekend of around $200 million, and is expected to gross somewhere in the region of $425 million worldwide by close of play on Sunday. That would be the third biggest opening of all time after The Fate of the Furious on $541.9 million and Star Wars: The Force Awakens on $529 million, although unlike the two Star Wars movies, the latest entry in the Fast & Furious series also opened day and date in China. The Last Jedi does not make its way to the Middle Kingdom until January 5th.
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In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb) and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) as DJ and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) as Vice Admiral Holdo.