'The Last Jedi' opens with $220M

Posted December 17, 2017 12:00 am

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will happily settle for second.

Rian Johnson's second installment in the third "Star Wars" trilogy rocketed to a debut of $220 million at the box office, according to studio estimates. That gives "The Last Jedi" the second-best opening ever, slotting in behind only its predecessor, "The Force Awakens."

The Disney blockbuster became just the fourth film to open above $200 million domestically. Aside from "The Force Awakens" ($248.8 million), the others are "The Avengers" ($207.4 million) and "Jurassic World" ($208.8 million). Accounting for inflation, the debut of 2012's "The Avengers" would roughly tie with "The Last Jedi."

"The Last Jedi" is off to a similar start overseas, too, with $230 million in international ticket sales, said Disney. That brings its three-day global haul to $450 million.

The opening also gave the Walt Disney Co. the opportunity to flex its muscles on the heels of the deal announced Thursday for it to purchase 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion. As part of the deal, Disney will take control of 20th Century Fox, one of Hollywood's six major studios.

Fox, as it happens, was the only studio to open another new wide-release film against "The Last Jedi." Its family film, "Ferdinand," was essentially stampeded by "The Last Jedi," grossing $13.3 million. "Ferdinand" and other holiday season releases will look for more room in the coming weeks, once the "Star Wars" tsunami has waned. It has in three days already bested the five-week gross of Warner Bros.' "Justice League" ($219.5 million).

"Seeing a movie like this in the movie theater, getting the collective goose bumps and having the OMG-moments, that's something you cannot replicate at home on the small screen," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore.

-Associated Press

1. "The Last Jedi," $220 million

2. "Ferdinand," $13.3 million

3. "Coco," $10 million

4. "Wonder," $5.4 million

5. "Justice League," $4.2 million

6. "Daddy's Home 2," $3.8 million

7. "Thor: Ragnarok," $3 million

8. "The Disaster Artist," $2.6 million

9. "Murder on the Orient Express," $2.5 million

10. "Lady Bird," $2.1 million

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:

1. "The Last Jedi," $230 million.

2. "Youth," $44 million.

3. "The Thousand Faces of Dunjia," $27.9 million.

4. "Coco," $27.4 million.

5. "Steel Rain," $11.6 million.

6. "Murder on the Orient Express," $10.8 million.

7. "Paddington 2," $9.7 million.

8. "Wonder," $9.4 million.

9. "Ferdinand," $6.2 million.

10. "Daddy's Home 2," $5.8 million.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP