Fisher - now playing General Leia in one of her final roles - and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) but largely focused on newer characters that include the rebel fighter Rey, played by Daisy Ridley the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the brash pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). “It shows the flexibility of the modern digital multiplex, able to add new show times at the last minute to meet that demand,” he said. Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theater Owners, echoed those thoughts and noted that “The Last Jedi” also benefited from improved technology in theatrical distribution, including digital presales. It shows that, when there is a true event movie, people want to see it on the biggest screen possible.” “This shows that new ‘Star Wars’ characters are connecting with a new generation of fans. “That word actually doesn’t do it justice,” said Greg Foster, chief executive of Imax Entertainment, which played “The Last Jedi” in both 3-D and 2-D. (The glasses don’t fit little faces.) The 3-D format accounted for 30 percent of ticket sales for “The Last Jedi,” according to Disney, down from 47 percent for “The Force Awakens.”
When is the new star wars movie the last jedi opening movie#
“The Last Jedi,” which cost roughly $350 million to make and market, arrived to better-than-expected turnout even as moviegoers avoided higher-priced 3-D screenings - an ongoing trend in the movie business, especially for films that draw large family audiences. “The result we got is a reflection on Rian Johnson, who delivered a satisfying fan experience.
“We came in thinking that anything close to 200 was going to be an absolute win,” Dave Hollis, Disney’s president of theatrical distribution, said by phone on Sunday. (Disney bought Lucasfilm, the “Star Wars” studio, in 2012.) Abrams, a star in his own right, was also the first “Star Wars” movie pushed through Walt Disney Company’s vaunted marketing system. Pent-up demand was off the charts: It was the first “Star Wars” movie in 32 years with performances by fan favorites like Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia).
“The Force Awakens” had benefited from unique circumstances.
“Star Wars” has long been in a league of its own, and “The Last Jedi,” directed by the relative newcomer Rian Johnson, was always expected to arrive as a blockbuster. The domestic opening total was the second-highest on record, even after adjusting for inflation, falling just 11 percent short of the $248 million in initial ticket sales for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015. LOS ANGELES - The eighth chapter in the “Star Wars” movie series, “The Last Jedi,” made the jump to box office hyperspace over the weekend, selling $450 million in tickets worldwide and affirming Disney’s strategy for rebooting the 40-year-old franchise for a new generation of fans.īenefiting from stellar reviews and wall-to-wall marketing, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” collected an estimated $220 million in North America theaters - some 4,232, some of which offered screenings around the clock.