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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Becomes Highest Grossing Domestic Film Ever

Mike Tyrkus
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

As of Wednesday, Star Wars: The Force Awakens became the highest grossing film of all time in the domestic market, surpassing the $760.5 million lifetime gross of Avatar (2009) in a record-shattering twenty days of release. In addition, the film crossed the $800 million mark at the international box office. The Force Awakens still has a ways to go to topple Avatar’s overall $2.78 billion at the global box office. But, the Force appears to be strong with this film.

Globally, the film posted the highest global opening weekend of all time ($528.967 million) and surpassed $1 billion in a record twelve days. It also had the biggest global IMAX debut ($48 million) and surpassed $152 million in IMAX in a record nineteen days.

It was the highest international debut in December history with $281 million, and it remains #1 in many territories after posting the biggest opening weekend in at least eighteen major markets.

Named one of AFI’s top 10 films of 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens now heads into its fourth weekend of global release ahead of a debut in its final international market, China, on January 9.

Through January 5, the film had grossed $758.2 million domestically and $799.1 million for a global total of $1.5 billion since its December 16 global debut. Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted in the US and Canada on December 18, its first two weeks pushing the domestic annual industry box office to an all-time high of $11 billion. It has set numerous individual records including:

  • Fastest film to reach $100 million (21 hours), $200 million (3 days), $300 million (5 days), $400 million (8 days), $500 million (10 days), $600 million (12 days), and $700 million (16 days)
  • Biggest all-time debut and biggest December debut ($247.966 million), propelling the industry to the biggest overall movie-going weekend of all time ($313.3 million for all films, Dec. 18-20)
  • Biggest second weekend of all time ($149.2 million), propelling the industry to the biggest overall Christmas weekend of all time ($296.4 million for all films, Dec. 25-27)
  • Biggest third weekend of all time ($90.2 million)
  • Biggest Thursday preview gross ($57 million)
  • Biggest Friday, opening, and single day ($119.1 million)
  • Biggest Sunday ($60.55 million), Monday ($40.1 million), and Tuesday ($37.3 million)
  • Biggest Christmas Day ($49.3 million) and New Year’s Day ($34.39 million)
  • Highest per-theater average for a wide debut ($59,982)
  • Biggest opening week ($390.85 million)
  • Biggest IMAX debut ($30.1 million)

Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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