Box office trackers are frantically predicting whether Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will beat the opening record set by Avengers: Endgame earlier this year.
With less than a month to go until the space saga’s final chapter, all eyes are on JJ Abrams, who fans are hoping have ended this current trilogy in a satisfactory manner.
Disney won’t be so fussed about Star Wars beating Endgame’s haul, considering its name is attached to both films. But, according to early tracking, bosses can expect an opening gross of $175m (£135m) and $200m (£155m).
For comparison, the Russo brothers’ final Avengers film – released in April – opened with $375m (£289m).
Despite the fact it won’t topple Endgame’s record, it’s worth noting that – should The Rise of Skywalker achieve the early projections – it will still rank as one of the best openings of all time.
If it surpasses $200m (£154m) in its opening weekend, it will become the first film to do so.
Abrams’s previous Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, is the highest-grossing film of all time in North America, with $936m (£723m) to its name, while Avengers: Endgame is the most successful film of all time.
The Rise of Skywalker’s only box office competition comes in the form of Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the musical Cats, which stars Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson and Ian McKellen.
