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THE NEW STAR Wars film is smashing box office records in Ireland, having made more than €3.3 million in the five days since it was released.
Sar Wars: The Force Awakens broke the Irish record for the biggest opening of all time, with Disney now saying that its opening four days in Ireland and the UK were also the biggest of all time.
From Thursday to Monday, the film made €3,303,500 in Ireland alone.
Similarly impressive openings elsewhere are putting the film on course to be the most financially successful of all time.
The film raked in €484 million worth of ticket sales globally in the first four days. That number just pips Jurassic World from earlier this year, which previously broke the record.
Perhaps more impressively, that record was achieved without Star Wars even opening in China and India. The movie opens in China, the world’s second biggest film market, on 9 January.
In the United States, the highly anticipated seventh installment of the space saga blazed a record-setting trail since its domestic debut, taking the prize for highest-grossing domestic opening night with €52 million and biggest domestic single-day sales Friday with €110 million.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 previously held both records.
As far as all-time box office sales go, two films by James Cameron hold the top two spots. Avatar at €2.54 billion and Titanic at €2 billion.
It is expected that The Force Awakens will challenge both.
With reporting by © – AFP 2015
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The force is fierce strong!!
Very strong, went twice, no spoilers but excellent
Saw it Sunday, thought it was good but nothing special. It’s borrows heavily from the first three films and is very rushed with little character development. Still worth a watch.
I reckon in a few months restrospective reviews won’t be as good as current reviews.
Keep up John. Borrowing from the first 3 films is exactly what they should have done. The first of the new trilogy needed to be a mixture of old and new, new characters that we care about and enough emotional investment to care about the next two.
It’s not the characters from the old films I’m worried about its the storyline
*****massive spoilers *****
Person from backarse of nowhere who happens to have the force finds a droid that leads her on an adventure. The empire makes a massive space station for the third time in 30 or so years with a massive and obvious weakness.
There is little original in there. And we don’t warm to the new characters because there is little development
“We” don’t warm to to the new characters? Speak for yourself, not the rest of us. I almost instantly warmed to all the new characters. And that just grew stronger as the film progressed. A really brilliant movie.
If it wasnt like that you would complain that it wasnt Star Wars. The new one had to be like this because of the rubbish that was the last trilogy. This sets up the next two to be completely original with everyone back invested in Star Wars. Little character development? of course there was character development…..its also the first of a trilogy….keep up John.
It’s lazy film making and in 6 months more people will get over the hype and reviews will be different.
Also, I’m worried the 2nd movie will borrow heavily from episode 1,2 and 2…. ;)
I agree with John somewhat. It felt like a hackneyed remake of A New Hope. It’s still entertaining and worth a watch though. I also thought Domhnall Gleeson was excellent.
I agree with you John, I was very disappointed with it, but then, I went in with very high expectations to begin with.
It certainly did feel like the first original movie, but with a few twists. That said I loved the film. I loved the female lead and the humour was good and an added bonus. I liked the old feel to it something the new 3 movies based on Aniken didn’t.
My guess is the new female lead is Skywalkers daughter.
Have to agree with Arthur…the first trilogy were what made us all fall in love with Star Wars. So they were right to go back to the Star Wars basics, I felt, especially when re-introducing the original characters like Han etc. For me I found it very nostalic and that was something special that this movie brings I feel. It did seem a little rushed, I agree but I guess there was a lot to fit into that 2 hours and the scene is now nicely set again for VIII and beyond.
I went at 9.15 on a Sunday morning and the cinema had a fair few in it (not what I would have expected so early).
I’ve never seen such demand for a film! (and, IMO, totally justified)
I thought it was brilliant! (though I’ll admit to a fair bit of nostalgia too)
Was very very nostalgic wasnt it Tricia!!
Im a big StarWars fan, but this was a lazy attempt to resurrect the charm and magnificence of the first 6 movies, the original stories of the three by Lucas, were stolen and mashed up together in this Abrahams attempt, I dearly hope the next one can stand by it’s self and give all fans something to remember…
Because George Lucas created something really original and stole nothing?
And the overwhelming majority of the fans loved the movie. Just the usual few predicable moaners.
Few moaners? I liked the film but I think it’s hugely flawed. When I came out of the cinema I thought it was amazing, it’s just the more I think about it, the more I see these flaws. Sorry if I don’t have the same opinion that you have…
You lost me at “magnificence of the first 6 movies”, there was very little if anything at all magnificent about the prequel trilogy. Badly scripted and some terrible acting.
When you start thrown around nonsensical terms like “lazy writing” it let’s everybody know exactly the type of eejit you are. They is no doubt they spent 100s or 1000s of hours writing it. And then some hacky know it all comes along and just dismiss’ it as “lazy writing” because he changed his mind after reading somebody else’s opinion online. Nothing to do with you having a different opinion than me, its to do with you being a pretentious asshat.
@ Thebull Many people have the same opinions and words, mine is mine though.the force is weak in this one,you must be using the force the wrong way, try it standing on you’re head or something.
A lot of people have put their lives on hold waiting for this film and just haven’t got the guts to admit that they are disappointed in what is basically a remake. The force has conned you.
The response to this reminds me of the response to the 2nd matrix movie. Initially people and critics loved it and anyone who said different was shot down. Now people hate the 2nd matrix (not saying people will hate the force awakens).
adjusting inflation, the all time box office film is Gone with the Wind, followed by Star Wars (1977) and The Sound of Music. ET and Titanic round out the top 5. Avatar is 14th.
Was Waking Ned 6th ??
What you’re referring to there is the worldwide highest grossing movies with inflation taken into account (http://www.imdb.com/list/ls053886023/). The film has yet to be released in China and India (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_inf%20) so it will definitely be a challenger for the top 4-6. In a way, gross revenue taken in isn’t necessarily an accurate reflection of how popular a film is, as I’m sure if ‘Gone With The Wind’ was taken in a 3D ticket price (like Avatar + Star Wars – The Force Awakens was) their inflation price would be significantly higher.
Allowing for inflation that’s the key thing. Taking inflation into account nothing comes close to ‘Gone with the Wind’ but frankly, my dear, nobody gives a damn.
Take a bow Tom. That was so bad but I loved it haha
Did anyone else feel the urge to roll up their sleeves and give the inside of the Millennium Falcon a bit of a ‘spit n shine’?
Went to see it on Saturday @2pm the cinema wasn’t even half full. Been along time since I went to full cinema.
Saw it yesterday and am very disappointed. Nothing new and it never got off the ground. Best was the last few minutes of Skellig Michael!
Star Wars.
Good v Evil.
Religion dumbed down into a more modern and easily accessible construct for the atheist masses.
‘May the Lord be with you’
You’re such a sad loser. Legit. Imagine spending your entire day on here trolling under a pseudonym – what a life…
And still coming back despite getting banned….very weird.
Great point Tommy hadn’t seen it like that before.
Tommy, the vast majority of people that go to see this will be male. I saw queues that were about 80% male, and it would be traditionally blokes that go to see this kind of thing anyway. My local priest is showing it instead of midnight mass on Christmas eve to entice a few people in.;
What percentage constitutes a vast majority? It’s a phrase we hear everyday yet I’ve never heard a what percentage is needed to qualify.
Just wondering….
If the Lord had a light saber and actually used his power for good and tried to stop evil, then more people might give a shit.
70% according to polls. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-force-awakens-audience-849774
Codology very true I would say 90% of the cinema audience was male. Myself being in the minority, I loved this film franchise as a kid and as an adult. I say the female lead was to bring in a female audience but it hasn’t worked.
Ah, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
Fairly embarassing watching grown men pretending to be jedis, fake light swords and all.
Light SABRE. And of course they’re fake, a real one in untrained hands is potentially lethal. Dork.
Says the man who thinks queuing up to eat the dead body of a 2000 year old zombie is an adult thing to do. At least we know its only a story.
I’d say this is the first time most of these fans came out of their mothers basement since the last installment.
Did you come up with that yourself? Clever boy.
The bull I am agnostic btw.
How many Irish people’s mothers have basements anyway? It’s a lazy US-based stereotype.
I thought it gave off subliminal messaging, don’t send your kids to war. Which is great. When I bred my dogs a long time ago, I had them Ikc registered with all Star Wars names. Not too addicted..
Han dies
No he doesn’t.
So does Daenerys..
have your say