Colleen Crosby, 48, saw the very first “Star Wars” movie at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in 1977.
And on Thursday she grabbed her lightsaber and homemade Jedi costume and rushed to the same spot for opening night of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” — the first film from the blockbuster series in a decade.
“I can’t wait,” said the Los Angeles resident, who was particularly excited about Carrie Fisher reprising the role of Princess (now Gen.) Leia. “I’ve been a fan since I was 9.”
FULL COVERAGE: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Crosby was just one of the millions of people driving “Star Wars” box-office revenues to astronomical heights. The long-awaited seventh film in the space saga — “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” — is already breaking box-office records, and appears to be on track for Hollywood’s biggest opening weekend ever.
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Scenes from the opening night of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”: Fans wait for the start of the movie at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
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Souvenir cup, $6.95; figurine topper, $9.95; straw, $4.95, at the Chinese Theatre.
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A fan holds a lightsaber in the theater.
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Fans line up outside the theater.
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Caroline Ritter and Andrew Porters, both of Singleton, Australia, got married in front of the theater.
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Fans play with lighsabers.
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An Ewok (Nate Clukey of Cumberland, Maine) was the first in line, spending 13 days and 12 nights at the theater.
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Tony Brennan, left, of Cypress, Dawn Bright of Riverside and Hau Nguyen, from Orange, at the opening.
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Serena Schiffman, 5, of Valencia in an impromptu battle with Shawn Crosby, aka Obi-Shawn, from Westchester.
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Serena Schiffman strikes a pose.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Following months of anticipation, relentless marketing by Walt Disney Co., and special promotions, throngs of fans lined up hours ahead of time at theaters around the world to participate in the biggest movie event in a generation.
More than 10,000 of the 43,000 screens in the U.S. and Canada will show the newest “Star Wars” movie throughout the weekend, making it among the highest number of auditoriums ever dedicated to a single film. And multiplexes have added additional screenings — some starting as early as 2 a.m. — to accommodate the demand.
Phoenix Theatres, a Knoxville, Tenn., chain, set aside half of its 83 screens for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” That’s well above previous blockbusters such as the “Avengers” or “Lord of the Rings” movies, which occupied 30% of available screens at the chain, which operates in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania and several other states.
“I can’t remember ever doing that,” said Chief Executive Phil Zacheretti. “In my 40 years in the business, I’ve never seen anticipation for a movie like this…. This is going to help get some people back to the theaters who haven’t been for a while.”
Opening night of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood
The movie began its domestic theatrical run by collecting a record $57 million in ticket sales Thursday night in the United States and Canada. That easily topped the previous record set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2,” which grossed $43.5 million from Thursday night shows in July 2011. According to early estimates, “The Force Awakens” could gross more than $100 million as of Friday.
Interest was also apparent on Twitter, where the movie was mentioned roughly 2 million times Thursday, making it the most tweeted-about movie ever, according to social media analytics firm Union Metrics.
Box-office analysts went into the weekend expecting the new “Star Wars” from director J.J. Abrams to gross $180 million to $220 million through Sunday in its domestic opening weekend, but those estimates are looking increasingly conservative. As of Friday afternoon, industry observers said the movie could rake in more than $250 million through the weekend.
The staggering numbers were partly due to the portion of fans who wanted to not just see the movie, but watch it on the biggest, most technologically advanced screens they could find. Nearly half of the Thursday sales were for 3-D screenings, which are more expensive than regular films. Imax, which is showing the movie on 391 screens, generated $5.7 million in sales in the U.S and Canada. That’s nearly double the Canadian company’s previous record set earlier this year by “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
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Stormtroopers interact with the crowd at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Daisy Ridley, who stars as the new character Rey, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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John Boyega, who stars as Finn, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Carrie Fisher, who reprises the iconic Leia, plays with the photographers at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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George Lucas, left, creator of the “Star Wars franchise, and director J.J. Abrams chat at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Adam Driver, left, who plays Kylo Ren, and Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actor Harrison Ford and his wife, actress Calista Flockhart, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Oscar Isaac, right, sneaks up on Adam Driver at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Anthony Daniels, left, who plays C-3P0, and Peter Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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George Lucas, left, creator of the “Star Wars franchise, and director J.J. Abrams share a hug at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actress Kate Capshaw, left, and her husband, director Steven Spielberg, arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actress Carrie Fisher, left, poses with her daughter, Billie Lourd, at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Actor Andy Serkis arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Domhnall Gleeson, who plays General Hux, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Photographers swarm droid BB-8 at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Droids C-3PO, left, and R2-D2 arrive at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Max von Sydow, who plays Lor San Tekka, arrives at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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A peek inside the tent at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” reveals a silvery character.
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Statues of characters Rey, Kylo Ren and BB-8 made of Lego bricks are displayed inside the tent at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Daisy Ridley, one of the new stars of the franchise, walks the red carpet for the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, gestures toward photographers on the red carpet for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Hollywood.
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Harrison Ford and his wife Calista Flockhart pose on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Carrie Fisher quiets a raucous crowd while walking the red carpet.
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Director J.J. Abrams greets Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee at the red carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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John Boyega, who plays Finn, arrives at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Actress and cast member Lupita Nyong’o walks the red carpet.
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Adam Driver and Oscar Isaacs clown around on the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, strikes a pose at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3P0, poses on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Billie Lourd, solo, on the red carpet.
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Clare Grant and her husband Seth Green, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and producer Kathleen Kennedy and husband Frank Marshall take in the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Peterr Mayhew, who plays Chewbacca, takes to the red carpet with his lightsaber cane.
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“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” actor Andy Serkis makes it known that he is in the seventh installment of the “Star Wars” franchise at the film’s Hollywood premiere.
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C-3PO and R2-D2 at the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Hollywood Boulevard.
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Mellody Hobson and George Lucas arrive at the world premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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A large Captain Phasma awaits inside the tent housing the red-carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Karrueche Tran, left, and Chantel Jeffries make their way down the red carpet at the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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The stewards of “Star Wars,” George Lucas, left, and J.J. Abrams, meet and hug on the red carpet.
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J.J. Abrams acknowledges George Lucas as he continues down the carpet toward the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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More of the atmosphere inside the tent housing the red carpet premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.
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Musician Janelle Monae.
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Robert Iger, chairman and chief executive of the Walt Disney Co., arrives on the red carpet with his wife, Willow Bay.
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Model Kelly Rohrbach catches photographers’ flashes.
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“Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland and actor Dominic Sherwood hit the red carpet for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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“Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland and actor Dominic Sherwood kiss on the red carpet.
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Stormtroopers continue to make their presence felt on the red carpet at the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Stormtroopers drink in the spotlight on the red carpet -- while keeping order, of course.
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Actor Max von Sydow.
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An Empire-themed car is displayed at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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“Heroes Reborn” actor Greg Grunberg
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Reporters wait for the stars to arrive at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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Actress Zendaya
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Rey, Kylo Ren and BB-8 figures at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
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Stormtroopers inside the tent housing the red-carpet premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’
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Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew (background) attend the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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A security dog keeps watch.
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A cosplay staple at “Star Wars” events, the Hip-Hop Stormtrooper arrives for the premiere.
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The red carpet for the Hollywood premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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Darth Vader and Stormtroopers decorate a dress at the premiere.
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Eric Garcetti, Andy Serkis and Domhall Gleeson.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left; Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee; and Sofia Vergara.
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Zendaya, Constance Zimmer and Jaime King.
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Actress Gina Rodriguez, left, Chris Hardwick and Lydia Hearst, and Geena Davis.
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“Game of Thrones” actress Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma, takes selfies with “Star Wars” fans.
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Actresses Carrie Fisher and daughter Billie Lourd attend the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Hollywood premiere.
(Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney) Imax has bet big on “Star Wars.” The movie, which was filmed with Imax cameras, is even showing in Imax museum theaters that typically show science and nature documentaries rather than Hollywood mega-hits.
The box-office surge also was helped by some unusual promotions. High-end chain Cinépolis brought in members of the 501st Legion — a group of enthusiasts dressed in Storm Trooper garb — to take pictures with moviegoers.
It remains to be seen if “The Force Awakens” will top the record $209 million that “Jurassic World” opened with in June. That would be a remarkable feat for a movie coming out in December, a month that has never seen an opening of more than $100 million. The hype drove record-breaking advance ticket sales from people who didn’t want to miss out. Pre-sales for the movie totaled more than $100 million by Thursday.
Even though most people had already bought their tickets, lines still stretched around the block for Thursday showings of “The Force Awakens” at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The “Star Wars” faithful gathered in costume, taking pictures with each other in front of theaters and lining up early to get into the multiplex, even in a modern exhibition era marked by advance ticket sales and reserved seating at many movie palaces. People began lining up for the 10 p.m. Thursday screening at the El Capitan Theatre across the street three hours before the movie started. On the sidewalk outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, three people dressed as members of the cantina band from the first “Star Wars” entertained passersby.
Staff writer Tre’vell Anderson discusses first “Star Wars” memories with actors and filmmakers at the premiere for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Inside the theater, fans cheered enthusiastically for the first bars of John Williams’ opening theme and the introductions of beloved characters like Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, Carrie Fisher’s Leia and newcomer Daisy Ridley’s Rey.
“The crowd just went nuts for everything,” said Sabarish Chandramouli, a 24-year-old video game engineer. “It was a throwback to the good old days.”
In Culver City, 24-year-old Eric Dermanouelian said the new movie bodes well for the franchise owned by Disney, which is counting on the movie to kick off years of sequels and stand-alone spin-off films. The positive response likely comes as a relief to Disney. The three prequels, starting with “The Phantom Menace,” were not fully embraced by die-hard “Star Wars” fans.
“‘Star Wars’ is itself again and I think that’s a good thing,” he said. “The future of ‘Star Wars’ is looking good.”
But some were less enthusiastic, including Christopher Brandt, a 32-year-old Encino gunsmith.
“To be honest, I was a little disappointed,” he said. “The nostalgia was done well. The introduction to new characters was forced.... Overall I’d give it a C-plus.”
It’s not just U.S. fans who are driving sales. The movie is also expected to be an international phenomenon, and it’s already breaking box-office records overseas. The film began its international rollout Wednesday and has grossed $72.7 million internationally so far, bringing its global cumulative box office to $130 million. That was in part thanks to record-breaking opening day sales in Britain, Germany, Australia and Brazil. It debuted in 12 countries Wednesday and an additional 32 Thursday. The movie won’t debut in China, the second-largest film market, until Jan. 9.
Some even crossed international borders for “Star Wars.” Father and daughter Ben and Mary Joe Menbreno flew into Los Angeles on Thursday morning from Honduras just so they could see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at Regal LA Live.
Mary Joe, 11, dressed in a Princess Leia white gown, said she had been waiting for the moment for years.
“I wanted to come see it here for the whole experience,” she said. “I felt like this would give me a more special feeling.”
“Star Wars” mania has even hit the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday hosted a screening of “The Force Awakens” for military families. The interest was also evident in the way the president closed his news conference: “OK everybody, I’ve got to get to ‘Star Wars.’”
Meredith Woerner and Ross May contributed to this report.
Twitter: @rfaughnder
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