Business

'Star Wars' becomes highest grossing domestic movie ever

Posted January 06, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Move over, "Avatar," there's a new force in town. In just 20 days in theaters, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has unseated the James Cameron pic as the No. 1 North American movie of all time.

According to Disney, J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars" earned enough on Wednesday to pass "Avatar's" $760.5 million lifetime gross. As of Tuesday, the film was just shy of the record at $758.2 million.

The worldwide record still belongs to "Avatar," though, and that may continue. "The Force Awakens" has earned $1.6 billion to date, as compared to "Avatar's" $2.8 billion.

"Star Wars" will open in China on Jan. 9, which will give the film a significant boost, but some analysts are predicting that the film might now net out in the mid-$2 billion range.

This photo provided by Disney/Lucasfilm shows a scene from the new film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," directed by J.J. Abrams. (Film Frame/Disney/Lucasfilm via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Business Content Providers Nation and World News

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.