“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is on track for a cosmic $200 million-plus opening weekend when it hits theaters on Dec. 15, according to first estimates released by tracking services on Wednesday morning.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the first new film released in the sci-fi franchise after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, earned a record opening of $248 million in December 2015. Last year’s prequel “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opened to $155.1 million.
“The Last Jedi” is likely to score the biggest opening box office weekend of the year, a spot currently held by another Disney release, “Beauty and the Beast,” which debuted to $174.8 million in March.
Only two other films have crossed the $200 million mark on their opening weekends: “Jurassic World” ($226 million) and “The Avengers” ($228 million).
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” stars John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro.
The new trilogy will be separate from the main Skywalker saga and, according to a Disney press release, the film will “introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.”
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” arrives in U.S. theaters on Dec. 15, 2017.