Star Wars 7 is potentially one of the most anticipated movies of the last decade. People wanted Jurassic World, people wanted Spectre but there has not been the same hype surrounding a film as there is around The Force Awakens for a long time. And this shows in it’s $50 million intake of pre-sale tickets.
When Exhibitor Relations tweeted the figures it blew the previous record, held by The Hunger Games, out of the water, doubling the previous figure. It’s not over yet, with cinemas regularly adding screenings to meet the increasing demand. IMAX theatres have sold out screenings and demand continues so it is safe to say this is by no means the final figure for the out of this world pre-sales.
The current record to open to is $208 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. This was set by Jurassic World which opened in prime time mid summer blockbuster season. With Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening in the middle of December, will this be an achievable feat? The current record for December opening goes to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which brought in $85m in pre-sales, less than half of the current record. May the force be with Star Wars in this task.
The seventh instalment of the Star Wars franchise sparks the start of a new trilogy and is set 30 years after the 1983 film The Return of the Jedi. Plot details have been kept close to the teams chest, however the trailer has sparked a variety of rumours and fan debate. Harrison Ford returns as Han Solo as does Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Carrie fisher as Leia. Newcomers include Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as Captain Phasma, Adam Driver (Girls, This Is Where I Leave You) as Kylo Ren and Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) as Poe Dameron. See what you think in the trailer below.
The Force Awakens opens in cinemas on the 17th December.
