Break box-office records, the new “Star Wars” movie could.
Cinema chain owners have been salivating for months over the potential windfall from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Now they’re preparing to cash in when the first “Star Wars” movie in a decade hits theaters Thursday night.
FULL COVERAGE: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
The J.J. Abrams-directed space opera will certainly post huge numbers. But just how big remains to be seen. According to people who have reviewed pre-release audience tracking surveys, the new picture could take in $180 million to $220 million in ticket sales through Sunday in the U.S. and Canada. Analysts say it could eventually bring in $1.5 billion to $2 billion over the course of its global run.
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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) Hollywood is waiting to see if “The Force Awakens” can set a new benchmark for the cinema industry, after Universal’s “Jurassic World” broke the record for the biggest domestic opening with $208.8 million in June.
Helped by a surge in early ticket sales, theaters have been selling out screenings, even at 2 and 5 a.m., and theaters have been adding showtimes around the clock to satisfy the audience appetite.
“It’s sort of strange that it’s actually here,” said Mike Sherrill, chief creative officer of the theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. “It’s crazy. We’re selling out shows in the middle of the night. We’ve never seen demand like this.”
Theaters across the country will be open and fully staffed 24 hours a day during opening weekend. Some are holding “Star Wars” marathons starting at 4 a.m. Thursday, where fans will watch all six previous movies in the series before seeing “The Force Awakens.”
Walt Disney Co., which has much riding on the revival of the “Star Wars” franchise, has waged a sustained marketing campaign to appeal to the franchise’s core fan base and tap into the nostalgia for the original trilogy, which began in 1977. Anticipation drove record-breaking advance ticket sales that reached $50 million by mid-November, a total that has surely grown significantly since then.
The hype reached a new level Monday after Disney held the world premiere in Hollywood, where it showed the film in three theaters and closed down four blocks of Hollywood Boulevard for the festivities. Reviews were not yet out Tuesday, but social media posts about the film from those who saw the movie early, including celebrity guests, were overwhelmingly positive. That’s a good sign for the film’s box-office prospects, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at the entertainment data firm Rentrak.
“There’s got to be a collective sigh of relief over at Disney,” Dergarabedian said. “The movie’s already feeling the love from social media, and that’s very important.”
Disney and theater chains have done virtually everything possible to fill as many seats as they can, including promotions offered at certain multiplexes. AMC Theatres, for example, is giving out new “Star Wars” posters to people who buy tickets to see the movie in Imax 3D on Sundays through Jan. 10. In a quirky example, Alamo Drafthouse is unveiling a “Star Wars”-themed dine-in menu designed to look like the Millennium Falcon.
“At that point, you’re really talking about what is the capacity of the theater industry to sell tickets and get people into seats,” said Bruce Nash, president of film industry research firm Nash Information Services.
Theaters also are taking added security precautions for the big opening, which is expected to draw multitudes of costumed fans, some of whom have been camped out in front of theaters since Dec. 8. Theater safety has been a topic of concern after shootings in Aurora, Colo., in 2012 and Lafayette, La., in July.
AMC, the nation’s second-largest theater chain, will allow costumes, but not masks, face paint or fake weapons (light sabers are permitted, however). High-end theater company ArcLight Cinemas last week sent an email to customers saying it will not allow large bags, masks or props that could be a safety hazard.
Theater chains are counting on “Star Wars” to help push the industry toward a possible record level of business this year and also reinforce the habit of visiting the multiplex at a time when theaters face more competition from entertainment viewing in the home.
“Everyone is expecting that ‘Star Wars’ is going to be a blockbuster with huge revenues on opening night and opening weekend, but I think there’s the potential to do more,” said Adam Aron, newly named chief executive of AMC Entertainment. “It will remind people that going to a local movie theater is a wonderful way to spend the night with your family, spouse or significant other.”
A weekend of $180 million or more would be unprecedented for a movie released in December. The biggest opening for that month was “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which grossed $85 million when it premiered in 2012. If “Star Wars” manages to hit the $2-billion mark worldwide, it will join a club that only includes “Avatar” and “Titanic.”
It’s still unclear whether “Star Wars” will succeed in pushing the domestic box office to an annual record of $11 billion. At the beginning of the year, analysts widely predicted the industry would reach that mark, but the box office lagged in October and November. As of this week, box-office revenue in the U.S. and Canada totaled about $10 billion — about even with the record pace of 2013.
“We’re literally neck and neck with the record box office,” Dergarabedian said. “We’ve got 15 to 16 days to earn a billion dollars in North America, and that’s no small feat.”
Times staff writer Richard Verrier contributed to this report.
MORE:
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: A recap of the world premiere from celebrity cosplay on the red carpet to the first reactions
How ‘Star Wars’ could become Disney’s next cash cow
The women of ‘Star Wars’ speak out about their new Empire
J.J. Abrams on going old school and how ‘Star Wars’ differs from ‘Star Trek’
