The new Star Wars blockbuster is on track to become the most successful film of all time, concluding a record-breaking year at the box office.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — the seventh episode of the saga — has become the fastest film to reach $1 billion ($3.67 billion) at the international box office and, after less than two weeks, it has taken a spot in the all-time UK top 10, beating all Batman and Hobbit films. The $200m (GBP135m) budget adventure is now chasing the global champion Avatar, which made $2.7bn in 2009.
“For cinemas it’s the perfect end to a strong year and a great start to 2016 after a tough 2014,” said Andreas Wiseman, of Screen International.
The commercial success of the film, which brings back original cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher and introduces characters played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, has been matched by universally strong critical support, with the movie touted as a possible awards contender.
Scott Feinberg, Oscars expert at the Hollywood Reporter, said the film “could resonate with the Academy” after being named one of the American Film Institute’s 10 best films of the year.
If it picks up a best picture nomination it would be the first Star Wars film since the original to do so.
The movie’s success has also boosted the British film industry. The cast is filled with homegrown talent and features scenes shot in Britain. There is also an unlikely mention of George Osborne in the credits thanks to a tax relief scheme which means it is technically classified as British.
Disney, which paid $4bn for the acquisition of Lucasfilm, was so confident of the film’s success that it announced an ambitious slate of sequels and spin-offs before its release. There is set to be one film released every year until 2020, including prequels for Han Solo and Boba Fett.
The first film to arrive is Star Wars: Rogue One from Godzilla director Gareth Edwards, starring British actors Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed. “The spinoffs should fare well by association and providing Disney gives each film sufficient space to breathe and find its own voice,” said Wiseman. “But they are unlikely to match the might of the core Star Wars films at the box office.”
