Standing next to his wife, who was decked out in a R2-D2 hoodie, Chris Barreno, 36, was getting ready Saturday for his second viewing of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the ArcLight Cinemas in El Segundo.
The Long Beach accountant, his wife, Monique Matta, and her extended family were among the legions of fans decked out in their “Star Wars” gear and novelty 3-D glasses for the seventh installment of the film, which has already amassed recording-breaking box-office numbers and further bolstered the newest release of the beloved sci-fi series.
J.J. Abrams’ highly anticipated take on George Lucas’ franchise collected an estimated $120.5 million in its first day, including $57 million for Thursday night preview shows, making it the highest single day on record, according to Walt Disney Co. The tally topped the previous record holder, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2,” which grossed $91 million from its Thursday and Friday shows in July 2011. The film has already grossed more than $250 million worldwide.
FULL COVERAGE: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
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First Order stormtroopers are shown in a scene from “The Force Awakens.”
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Shown is Captain Phasma, played by “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie, in a scene from “The Force Awakens.”
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Domhnall Gleeson stars as General Hux in “The Force Awakens.”
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Rey (Daisy Ridley), left, the pint-sized droid BB-8, and Finn (John Boyega) make a break for it in a scene from “The Force Awakens.”
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Finn gets a helping hand in a scene from “The Force Awakens.”
(Film Frame / Associated Press) “It far exceeded my expectations,” said Barreno, a fan of the space saga since he saw “The Empire Strikes Back” when he was 2. He noted that he and his wife were looking to parse out more details they might have missed upon first seeing the new film.
“You go into it cautiously optimistic, hopeful that they make a good movie, and with the new cast and characters they really did a good job. It’s one of the better ones ... and it gives you something to look forward to for the next few movies.”
The numbers for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” are unprecedented for a film premiering in December. The record holder for the biggest opening during the month is “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which took in $85 million in domestic receipts in 2012.
Audience polling firm CinemaScore gave the new release an A grade, including an A-plus among women and younger audiences. It also earned a 95% fresh rating from RottenTomatoes.
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The space opera, which mixes old veterans with new faces and sees the evil Empire replaced by the even more evil First Order, opened wide domestically on Thursday at 7 p.m., showing in 4,134 theaters, a December record in and of itself.
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Stormtroopers pose in front of the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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People wearing “Star Wars” costumes pose as they wait at the Grand Rex cinema in Paris for the French release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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People dressed in character pose outside the Grand Rex movie theater before a screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”in Paris.
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Fans dressed as Princess Leia, right, and an Imperial Storm Trooper arrive for a midnight screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the Sony Center CineStar in Berlin.
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A member of Malaysia’s Star Wars Club dressed as Darth Maul before watching “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at a cinema in Subang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
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A Malaysian Muslim woman poses for pictures with members of Malaysia’s Star Wars Fan Club before watching “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at a cinema in Subang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
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A fan poses at a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” event at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 10, 2015, in Australia.
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Harrison Ford greets fans at a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” event at the Sydney Opera House on Dec. 10, 2015.
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A costumed “Star Wars” fan stands in front of hundreds of miniature Stormtrooper figures placed atop the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall of China during a promotional event for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
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A woman takes a picture of a scale model of the “Star Wars” Millennium Falcon spaceship displayed in a shopping mall in Hong Kong on Nov. 30, 2015. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens in Hong Kong on Dec. 17.
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A visitor walks past displays of R2-D2 and C3PO during a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” event in Madrid.
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Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico, answers reporters’ questions at a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” event at a Mexico City mall on Dec. 8, 2015. The film opens in Mexico on Dec. 17.
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A pedestrian walks past a store window filled with Stormtroopers as part of a “Star Wars”-themed Christmas display on Nov. 5, 2015, in Paris.
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Actor John Boyega takes a selfie with, from left, actor Adam Driver, director J.J. Abrams and actress Daisy Ridley, plus a few dozen fans, during a promotional event for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens’” on Dec. 9, 2015, in Seoul.
(Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images) “The Force Awakens” is expected to gross $180 million to $220 million through Sunday in its domestic opening weekend. However, those numbers began to look like conservative estimates following Thursday and Friday screenings.
At that rate, the long-awaited space epic is poised to out-earn Universal’s dino reboot, “Jurassic World,” which broke the record for the biggest domestic opening by selling $208.8 million in tickets last June.
And while many analysts expected the film to collect $1.5 billion to $2 billion globally, “The Force Awakens” is now predicted to gross $2.6 billion worldwide. That would make it the second-highest grossing picture of all time, trailing only 2009’s “Avatar,” which took in $2.8 billion worldwide.
The film began its international rollout on Wednesday and has grossed an additional $130 million internationally so far, bringing its global cumulative box office to $250 million. That was in part thanks to record-breaking opening-day sales in Britain, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Spain and Japan. It debuted in 12 countries on Wednesday and an additional 32 on Thursday. The movie won’t debut in China, the second-largest film market, until Jan. 9
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As expected, “The Force Awakens” dwarfed the weekend’s other new releases, including Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s buddy comedy “Sisters” and the live-action animated sequel “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” which grossed an estimated $4.9 million and $4.1 million, respectively, according to Box Office Mojo. Incidentally, both films included famous “Star Wars” touchstones in their own marketing campaigns. The weekend’s other new release, Holocaust drama “Son of Saul” was only shown in three theaters. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2” dropped to $1.55 million in its fourth week and has grossed $250.3 million since its November release.
Lucas’ original six-film series posted $4.4 billion in worldwide gross, with the “Revenge of the Sith” -- the sixth installment -- hitting theaters back in 2005. So far, the highest grosser in the franchise was Lucasfilm’s 1999 release “Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace,” with $1.02 billion worldwide.
Disney put up $4 billion to buy Lucasfilm, the original “Star Wars” studio, in 2012 and it was a smart move. After “The Force Awakens,” the studio will roll out four more films over the next four years and the revenue they generate could top $25 billion over the next five years, based on analyst estimates. Despite the record-breaking tally, shares of Disney were down more than 3% on Wall Street on Friday.
Times staff writers Richard Verrier, Ryan Faughnder, Meredith Woerner and Daniel Miller contributed to this report.
Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad.
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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) The Force is strong with these stories:
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