Buzz for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is at an all-time high, as we are now less than a month away from the film's December release date. It's already guaranteed the film will bring in millions upon millions of dollars, but now, we have an idea of just how much money that might be.
Thanks to early tracking, Variety reports Star Wars: The Force Awakens is expected to bring in around $170 million domestically in its opening weekend starting on Dec. 18.
That's a huge opening to be sure, especially for a December film, which historically has seen much smaller openings than that of summer blockbusters. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey currently holds the top spot for a December opening weekend with $84.6 million, a number Star Wars is almost certain to blow past.
Star Wars' opening weekend may, however, fall short of other major releases this year, including Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. For comparison, Jurassic World brought in nearly $209 million in its first weekend.
While hype for The Force Awakens is massive and the film holds almost universal appeal among men, women and children, the simple fact that the movie is releasing in December has some analysts predicting the film's opening weekend might not be able to compete. This is because, unlike in the summertime, costs associated with gifts and travel during the holidays may prevent some potential moviegoers from buying tickets. No December film has ever surpassed the $100 million mark in its opening weekend, though Star Wars certainly looks like it will be the first.
Even if The Force Awakens doesn't make it past the $200 million mark in its first weekend, the film will likely rival the gross of Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron in the long run. It's worth noting that The Force Awakens has already shattered records, with more than $50 million in pre-ticket sales alone. If that isn't an indication that the Force is strong with this one, we don't know what is.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in theaters on Dec. 18.
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