In an opening weekend that bodes very well for a huge box office haul, Rogue One took in a massive $290.5 million worldwide, the 21st biggest worldwide opening weekend of all time, although that could change when actuals are in. By comparison, in 2005 Revenge of the Sith opened to $304 million worldwide and The Force Awakens $529 million last December.
In North America the film brought in $155 million from 4,157 theaters and is already the 15th highest grossing film of 2016 after just 3 days of release. A further £135.5 million came from 54 international markets, including $21 million here in the UK, where attention now turns to its long-term potential. Then only other film to open north of $100 million in December – The Force Awakens – fell just 40% in its second weekend. A similar second weekend for Rogue One would bring in roughly $93.3 million and give it a solid platform to head north of $400 million in the US.
Competition arrives in the form of the poorly reviewed Passengers, computer game adaptation Assassins Creed and the awards nominated animated film Sing. With an 84% standing on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.3% rating on IMDB repeat viewings and word of mouth could send this stratospheric. Let’s hope!
