Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Debut Breaks Records

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” shattered box office records its opening weekend including the take for a December release and overall domestic revenue. The Walt Disney Co. release, the seventh in the film franchise and the first new “Star Wars” film in a decade, brought in $238 million in its first three days, an amount that bested the previous record holder, the summer’s “Jurassic World” that brought in nearly $209 million “The Force Awakens” also became the first December release to earn more than $100 million on its opening weekend, a record previously held by “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” that brought in $85 million its opening weekend in 2012. The total global box office for the film was estimated at $517 million. That amount, however, does not include receipts from China where “The Force Awakens” does not come out until January. “Jurassic World” earned global box office revenue of $525 million its opening weekend. “The Force Awakens” is directed by J.J. Abrams and brings Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, the stars of the original trilogy, together with newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. Disney acquired Lucasfilm Ltd., which owns the “Star Wars” franchise, from creator George Lucas for $4 billion in 2012. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, however, in an interview Monday with Bloomberg TV, pegged the global box office for “The Force Awakens” at $528 million, which would give it the record over “Jurassic World.” “It’s bigger than big – it’s bigger than we thought it would be (Sunday),” Iger was quoted saying in the interview. Shares closed down $1.13, or about 1 percent, to $106.59 on the New York Stock Exchange.