Star Wars: The Last Jedi Scores $45m Thursday Night for an Estimated $200m Weekend in North America
The day has finally arrived. Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been released in the United States and it is hitting it big at the box office as expected.
In Thursday night preview screenings, The Last Jedi brought in $45m. That makes this release the second biggest Thursday night preview release behind, you guessed it, The Force Awakens. No one was expecting The Last Jedi to overcome its predecessor in the sequel trilogy here, so these numbers are right in line with expectations. That $45m puts it roughly 21% lower than The Force Awakens and 55% higher than Rogue One and projects the film to a range somewhere between $175m-$240m for the weekend. Most estimates have the film finishing up the frame at just around $200m though.
Meanwhile, Deadline is also reporting that The Last Jedi has taken in $60m+ in its first two days internationally, bringing in its worldwide total at just around 105m before today.
Also from Deadline today, we are starting to see how general audiences are reacting to the film.
From Deadline:
So what do fans think? ComScore/Screen Engine reports a mindblowing five-out-of-five stars for the movie and a 90% overall positive with an 82% definite recommend. Forty five percent said that the Rian Johnson-directed movie came in above their expectations while close to 40% said they’ll the movie again in the theater. Huge. Older men over 25 came out in droves at 44% followed by females over 25 (24%), men under 25 (22%), and females under 25 (10%). Today there’s only 1% K-12 out of school and 30% colleges on break, numbers which will explode to respectively 61% and 89% next Friday. Essentially, the money will continue to flood in for Last Jedi, natch. Close to a third of the audience attended with two-to-four friends with 22% watching Last Jedi with a spouse or a partner. The make-up of the audience was evenly split between frequent moviegoers (those who attend 4x ever two month) and infrequent attendees who go to the cinema once every two months. Of last night’s audience, 55% overall said that they plan to purchases The Last Jedi on DVD or Blu-ray.
So, if those numbers hold on the audience approval side and the weather holds in most areas of the country throughout the weekend, it would stand to reason that The Last Jedi will lean towards the top side of its projected numbers. If you want a breakdown of historical blockbuster and Star Wars performance based on percentage of Thursday night take, Forbes has a piece out for you.
From Forbes:
But at a glance, we’re probably looking at a performance somewhere close to Rogue One (a $29 million Thursday/a $75m Friday/a $155m debut weekend) and The Force Awakens ($56m/$119m/$248m). Both films earned about double their opening Friday numbers, but Rogue One made a lot less of its Friday business on Thursday. A Friday like Force Awakens from a $45m Thursday means a $95m Friday. An opening day like Rogue One with a $45m Thursday means a $116m Friday gross.
If you are interested in the break down, head over to Forbes for the full article where they take you through the different scenarios that will get you to the low or high end of the weekend box office spectrum
We’ll keep you updated throughout the weekend as the official numbers come in.
Man. I don’t know what to think with this film! Sometimes I think it’s a masterpiece, then I change my mind and find it to be a bit underwhelming. It’s very strange, but I think it was always supposed to be split with fans. Though I think there is way too much hate for this movie from fans.We’ll see. still glad the movie will make some MONEY.
I agree! On second viewing, I thought I was watching a different movie! I think I was devastated at what they did to Luke, but on reflection (and second viewing), it almost makes his character more human and relatable, rather than the perfect, God-like character I expected would come in and kick Snoke’s butt.
Its to much shit happening in a matter of few hours. If you think this movie does not stretch more then a day to two days of actual story time. But in that time Rey becomes stronger than most Jedi before her with no actual training what so ever … Snoke gets killed super easy. Skywalker just gives up and becomes a force ghost… So much shit happened in a few days.
I realize that the movie is out to mas audiences, but you really should consider saying at least “spoilers” before that much detail.
I understand your points about the movie, however & agree w/many points. However, I really enjoyed the movie & experience still. Oddly, possibly to some, but much more so than The Force Awakens it felt a Star Wars film, flaws & all.
Deviation old mythos/new direction or re-boot of force sensitive->jedi training path – not sure how feel about all that. I need to see this more to finalize my thoughts on few things. But I enjoyed the story & character arcs & performances much more than The Force Awakens. Not sure how I like some of the re-imagining/changing of old story elements w/force awakening->beyond jedi level training stuff tho’. Mixed bag for me. Again, I’m re-watching.
Hopefully the bad word of mouth keeps people away. The only thing Disney will listen to is money.
Every single time I see you comment on this site it’s something negative. I’m starting to think you don’t actually like Star Wars at all. The movie is divisive, yes, but that’s a good thing. Too many people didn’t like TFA because it was too similar to ANH, so they took a chance on TLJ and made risk after risk in this film. Just like with TFA some people will love it, some people will hate it. Star Wars has always been that way because everyone has their vision of what Star Wars should and should not be. Everyone who is a Star Wars fan should see this film and make up their minds for themselves, because everyone opinion will be different, which based on arguments I’ve had with you in the past is something that you cannot seem to grasp.
Every single time I see you comment on this site it’s something negative. I’m starting to think you don’t actually like Star Wars at all. The movie is divisive, yes, but that’s a good thing. Too many people didn’t like TFA because it was too similar to ANH, so they took a chance on TLJ and made risk after risk in this film. Just like with TFA some people will love it, some people will hate it. Star Wars has always been that way because everyone has their vision of what Star Wars should and should not be. Everyone who is a Star Wars fan should see this film and make up their minds for themselves, because everyone opinion will be different, which based on arguments I’ve had with you in the past is something that you cannot seem to grasp.
I can vouch for smr9 (if that IS their real name!) that is a post-movie negativity, like most of the other negative comments on here, they weren’t negative before the film. People are allowed to feel negative about it.
I felt negative about it after my first viewing, but loved it after the second. I’d encourage everyone to give it a second crack if they didn’t like it first time around.
It’s Shawn. And to be completely honest I was fine with the movie up until Luke walked out on to the battlefield.
Interesting. I actually loved that the second time around, with Luke walking out, etc. I thought it was well done.
It felt like a completely different movie second time around, something I also noticed when I watched TFA.
Yes, both movies definitely not what I expected, and both have flaws, and both could have been better – but I can sit and enjoy them now.
Oh, and I was joking about the name!!! 🙂
I would love to discuss character motivations and plot points. But that is not the problem. The problem is Luke’s role in these new movies was determined when JJ Abrams decided he did not want Luke to overshadow HIS characters. And now we have Luke’s BS role in TLJ.
Well, Luke wasn’t supposed to outshine the new characters. That’s the point. Just as Obi-wan wasn’t the main protagonist in ANH. He sacrificed himself. It’s passing of the torch to the next generation. Even though he was more jaded, Luke’s role in TLJ is the same as Obi-wan in ANH. I thought Luke’s appearance on the battlefield was kick ass. I said….YES!
According to who?
Again I will keep saying it until I am blue in the face. People turned out to see the original cast. The original cast was featured in all the trailers, because that is what will get people in the seats.
And now the jig is up. People are pissed because of how Luke was treated.
There is absolutely not reason why new cast could not have been introduced gradually over 3 movies. Talk to me after episode 9 comes out with none of the original characters in it. And we will see if Luke was supposed to outshine the new characters.
I’m not sure that’s really fair to say. I was 12 when ANH came out and was totally obsessed with Star Wars throughout the OT. I went into the prequels never expecting them to be there (other than a much younger Obi-Wan and Anakin with understandably different actors), and likewise, with the sequels set so long after the OT I never expected the original cast to even show up. It’s been a great boon having them included, but to me the new guys are what it should always have been about first and foremost.
I do get what you’re saying about the marketing though – it did show the OT cast as being just as important to the film.
“Talk to me after episode 9 comes out with none of the original characters in it…”
Hey man, my fingers are still crossed that we are served up a smooth serving of some Lando Calrissian in 9. “Works every time…”
In all seriousness though, maybe the chances of seeing Lando in the next film are increased now that Han and Luke are gone and Carrie Fisher has passed in real life. But I fully expect Luke to make appearances as a Force ghost in future films. They better hurry though, because Billy Dee is already 80 years old and the clock is ticking LOUDLY. Same with John Williams, unfortunately.
“Talk to me after episode 9 comes out with none of the original characters in it.”
Unless Mark Hamill dies in real life, he’ll be back in Episode 9.
Oh, I wish there had been more of Luke. I thought he was supposed to take out the Knights of Ren. maybe that’s in the deleted scenes? Anyway, he’ll be back as a Force ghost in IX.
This goes against your post, but I’d suggest seeing it again. I liked it a lot more the second time around.
I am supposed to go see it with my nephew when he gets back on the 20th from the army. It’s going to be really hard to have to go sit through it again. Sitting through it again won’t change how Luke’s character has been handled.
Maybe. It did for me though. People always say Han Solo is the best character, but ever since I was a kid, Luke was always my absolute favourite.
And in the second viewing, I learned to forgive Luke. And, I actually loved his role and the way he both saved everyone and inspired everyone.
That’s some great cherry picking by deadline. The fan reaction in reality is very mixed.
58% audience reaction on RT… and dropping.
Low score on metacritic as well.
And Justice League is at 80%. Not saying that calling out the audience score is an invalid observation . . . it’s just not necessarily a helpful one.
The critical score is more scientific than the audience grade: Star Wars movies self-select — especially at first — for Star Wars “fans.” Critics critique everything.
Comparing it to JL is apples and oranges. TFA and R1 were both in high 80s for audience score while TLJ is now below the prequels score. The folks are clearly restless.
57% now.
And you should put zero stock into audience reaction scores on RT or Metacritic because both sites let people rate movies without actually having seen them. If you want an honest reaction of audiences then wait until Cinemascore gets their aggregate out.
You know, you’re right. The Cinemascore will tell the tale.
It’s at 8.1 in IMBD
Re: “fan reaction in reality is very mixed”
I’m glad it’s devise, for many of the reasons I’ve seen complained about. And feel it way more than makes up for in other important ways. Way more than The Force Awakens, for me. To each his own & have fun debating whatever they value in the SW films/mythos.
It’s Avatar Syndrome all over again. Explosive box office, ecstatic press . . . snarky comments sections.
Avatar Syndrome – love that term. 🙂
This movie was great! I am truly perplexed by the negative reaction that so many fans are having. Rian Johnson made a beautiful, creative, and interesting film if there ever was one.
It’s so divisive because it it so different. People wanted a different Star Wars movie.. they got one lol.
There are problems with it. but i like it overall, and it warrants a second viewing just to get a grasp of it because sooooooo much happened (I liked DJ’s character, but I did not like the Canto Bight stuff…..)
If you take all the expectations of the film away. The movies uneven/Marvel like tone, a muddled middle act, and the Leia Mary Poppins moment is what will hold this movie back for me. Luke’s force hologram and his characterization I think will be forgiven over time though. It’s just really rough. It’s in my bottom 3 Star Wars films, and not that anyone cares about my rankings but in descending order:
ESB, ANH, ROTJ, TFA, ROTS, RO, TPM, TLJ, AOTC.
I just saw the movie for a second time, and it’s like I was watching a totally different film. I loved it the second time around. I was a bit numb walking out of the film the first time. I enjoyed it, but had a lot of disappointment. I thought certain answers didn’t ring true (I can understand why Mark Hamill ‘fundamentally disagreed’ with everything about Luke when he read the script), and I felt that certain other things were skipped over/cheapened (Snoke, Rey’s parents).
But watching the movie for a second time, I think it’s pretty damn close to a masterpiece, and maybe even is a masterpiece. It was like I was watching a brand new movie, and I’d encourage anyone who didn’t like it to give it a second watch with less expectation.
(Mild spoilers in terms of character):
1st viewing: A flawed Luke didn’t sit well with me. Not that I was expecting a God-like, EU Luke to wipe out the First Order by himself, but I just thought that what they did with him it shat on his OT legacy a little bit.
2nd viewing: we all have our ‘weak moments’, where a thought enters our head and we say/do something we regret. If anything, Luke’s moment in the movie makes me love him more as a character now. He’s human. He screwed up, and was filled with shame. Who hasn’t experienced that? And the idea of passing on what you have learned – everything, not just the good things, but the screw ups, too – I loved it.
Not a perfect film, but a bloody good one.
Did Luke still serve no purpose the entire time and then stand there at the end and disappear for no reason? Cause if that has changed, I’ll give it another shot.
I wouldn’t say Luke had ‘no purpose’. He triggered the whole sequel trilogy, really. His moment of weakness and ill-discipline created Kylo Ren. My take on the ending is that he is the only one who answered Leia’s call, and he expended every bit of energy that he had in order to allow the Resistance to escape and live on. I saw it as heroic.
The film is not without it’s flaws, I just think it was a lot better the second time around. I’d still love to see what George Lucas would have done with it, but I don’t think we’ll ever truly know.
But we critiquing Luke’s motivations by flawed and biased story decisions from the start of this whole process. Luke given this ridiculous hermit characterization to keep him away from JJ’s creations. I stuck with TFA under the assumption they wanted 1 movie to establish new characters. But what happened in TLJ is the breaking point for me.
Saw it a second time too. Somehow it was a much better experience than the first one. I still have some issues but overall it was a good Star Wars movie.
A lot of autistic screeching thrown at Rian & Co. for “abusing Star Wars lore.” Actually, the fanbase is improving itself by burning off driftwood as that lore evolves. Home Run, Mr. Johnson. 10/10.
Funny. I think I read a comment similar to this for the new Ghostbusters movie.
Funny thing happens to a franchise when the majority of it’s audience is driftwood.
Burn that tree down.
I know some autistic people who’d be disappointed with that comment.
I admit that my view on the movie became much more positive after a second viewing, and I think it will probably be remembered as a great film.
But 10/10? Surely at least one point gets deducted for Super-Leia?
Super Leia was the boss
I wish they would burn off; unfortunately I think you’ll be seeing the exact same names shitting all over EpIX when it comes out.
So you’re comparing people with valid criticisms to people with autistism? What the fuck is wrong with you?
Agreed.
Wow. Just, wow! I’m not sure why the people who hate Star Wars love to troll social media and talk about how awful TLJ was. Nothing was disappointing about the film upon my first viewing. Great writing, great plot, great acting and directing! The humor wasn’t over bearing and the porgs rock! And Super Leia? I love her! And to top it off, we have a budding romance. Call me crazy, but I think we need Han back in episode 9. Anyway, this film is going to draw repeat viewings! I expect record breaking weekends for quite a while! Tied for best installment of the saga…. So far….
So when somebody says they don’t like something, it’s considered trolling? Wow okay.
Check out the final CinemaScore.com rating. Not trying to pour ice water on any hate…just trying to say those numbers are based on single movie goers first reactions. It received an A.
This was a good article about Mark Hamill feelings for Luke’s death. I’m sure he will come back in episode IX
https://www.google.com/amp/ew.com/movies/2017/12/16/the-last-jedi-spoilers-rian-johnson-mark-hamill-luke-skywalker-revelations/amp/
This movie is gonna make a killing!