Some who hadn’t seen the film were trying to tamp down their hopes, still smarting from the disappointment of the three prequel films that began their run in 1999 with “The Phantom Menace.” Many moviegoers said they were thrilled for the return of original cast members such as Fisher and Harrison Ford, and have turned off social media sites to avoid spoilers. I felt like this would give me a more special feeling.” “I wanted to come see it here for the whole experience. “When I saw the tickets online, we needed to come and see it here tonight,” she said. Mary Joe, 11, dressed in a Princess Leia white gown, said she’s been waiting for this moment for years. Some even crossed international borders for “Star Wars.”įather and daughter Ben and Mary Joe Menbreno flew into Los Angeles Thursday morning from Honduras just so they could see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at Regal LA Live. The introduction to new characters was forced. “To be honest, I was a little disappointed,” he said. Feel like it lived up to the original series.”īut some were less enthusiastic, including Christopher Brandt, a 32-year-old Encino gunsmith. “It’s still a lot to take in right now, but I thought it was really great. Jessica Snyder, 29, who traveled from Santa Cruz to watch the movie with a large group of friends on opening night, also praised the call-backs to the first trilogy. “It was a throwback to the good old days.” “The crowd just went nuts for everything,” he said. Twenty-four-year-old video game engineer Sabarish Chandramouli said the audience appreciated the movie’s old-school feel. I haven’t been this excited since ‘Phantom Menace’ came out.”Īmong the throngs of moviegoers exiting the Chinese Theatre after the first showing, most fans gave the film high marks. “This is what I’ve been dreaming of and been waiting for all my life,” said Kemp, who called repeatedly on the day tickets went on sale, ultimately snagging 17. "But for very long-term prospects, you have to have a movie that delivers.Staff writer Tre’vell Anderson discusses first “Star Wars” memories with actors and filmmakers at the premiere for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” "The brand name alone and the excitement for the franchise will get huge numbers in the door," Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said. It could make the difference between the so-so reaction to the Star Wars prequels in Episodes 1 to 3 - with heavily parodied characters like Jar Jar Binks and video-game-like action scenes - and the satisfying revival that fans are hoping for. The big unknown is that no one's actually seen the movie yet. Avatar pulled down a monstrous $204 million in China through 2010, but the theatrical market there is now at least three times as big. The movie also has a much bigger Chinese box office to tap. What The Force Awakens benefits from, however, is interest that now spans multiple generations. Abrams' use of more realistic-looking special effects like puppetry. Traditionalists with a nostalgia for the originals might prefer 2-D screenings, especially with director J.J. To be sure, December releases tend to be smaller than in the summer, so coming out on top may take a marathon rather than a sprint.Īs for the all-time high, one thing Avatar had going for it: It rode a wave of consumer interest in 3-D, which costs a few dollars more than regular tickets. That's 87 per cent more than this summer's Jurassic World, which opened domestically with a record $208.8 million in ticket sales and owns the all-time No. Marvel's Deadpool doesn't come out until mid-February, while Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn't out until late March.Įxactly a month from release, The Force Awakens had 405 million trailer and teaser views on Facebook and YouTube. Star Wars will have the advantage of having weak competition for months. Whether it bests the biggest grosser of all time - Avatar, with $2.8 billion worldwide - depends on word of mouth and whether fans love it enough to watch it multiple times through the new year. and Canada on its opening weekend in December 2012. The movie is on track to have the biggest December opening ever, topping The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which took in $85 million in the U.S. Though several signs point in that direction, the outcome isn't guaranteed. But does that mean the movie is destined to be the biggest of all time? Riding galaxy-sized expectations, the new Star Wars movie is setting records for pre-opening ticket sales.
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