Star Wars: The Force Awakens is predicted to smash the world record for biggest global box-office opening this December with a haul in the region of $615m (Dh2.2 billion), according to Hollywood trade bible Deadline. The site claims a combination of Star Wars’ enduring multigenerational popularity, a lack of competition around the film’s December 18 opening and the increasing ability of digital projection to add screens in rapid time to meet demand will power JJ Abrams’s film way beyond the $524.4m mark reached by Jurassic World in June . Deadline also believes increases in the number of Imax screens (from 800 to 920 worldwide by December), which draw a higher premium, will benefit the film.
Such is the confidence in the new Star Wars film that a record US opening weekend haul in excess of $300m is predicted, almost $100m ahead of Jurassic World’s $208.8m. The only obstacle would be China, which is closed to Hollywood films during the month of December, when only Chinese productions are given permission to screen at the world’s second largest box office.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been the bookies’ favourite to become 2015’s highest-grossing film since the first teaser trailer for the film appeared in November last year. Nevertheless, it is unprecedented for experts to be predicting world-record openings for a movie no critic has seen. On the other hand, this is the latest film in the Star Wars saga, which despite three disappointing prequels more than 10 years ago has still grossed $4.4bn worldwide. The original 1977 Star Wars film helped usher in the blockbuster era and still stands as the second highest-grossing movie of all time at the global box office when ticket prices are adjusted for inflation, behind only Gone With the Wind. Deadline’s anonymous source also believes Disney, which bought the rights to Star Wars in October 2012, is playing all the right cards ahead of the movie’s release. The studio has confidently announced plans for two new 14-acre Star Wars lands at Disneyland and Disneyworld sites in the US, and will further fuel hype for The Force Awakens with a special live online presentation of the new film’s toy range in 15 global locations next week.
“Less than four months and counting and nothing is broken so far,” the source said. “All the marketing by Disney is disciplined and methodical as planned. There are no terrible stories from the set. The cast is getting along and showing up at events. JJ Abrams has a body language about him that’s positive. The story to me is that Disney and Lucasfilm are acting rationally, confidently and not cocky.” Poor critical reactions to the film may even end up being irrelevant to its opening figures, though Abrams’s flawless track record suggests the film is likely to be well-reviewed. If the film does receive a negative reaction from fans on social media the day after a viewing, however, its long-term chances of vying with Avatar for the mantle of highest-grossing film of all time could torpedo. Expert Benjamin Swinburne of Morgan Stanley predicted in June that The Force Awakens would make at least $2bn at the global box office.
