That was fast. Less than a month after its release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has bulldozed everything in its path to claim the number one slot at the all-time box office in North America. Now the only question is, can it become the number-one movie in the world?
First, let’s talk about the North American box office, because dethroning Avatar is even more impressive than you might think. Avatar took a slow and steady chug up the box office charts back in 2009, reaching the majority of its total over three months. The Force Awakens has literally been making a quarter of a billion dollars at the American box office every week since it came out, and it’s not even close to being done. If trends persist, and they likely will, it might even be the first movie to gross a billion dollars just at the North American box office.
Taking the global crown might be a bit more complicated. Avatar, the current champ, currently sits on a $2.78 billion total gross, and while Star Wars is doing just as well overseas as it is in the U.S., that still puts it at, so far, $1.55 billion. So, while it’s certainly reachable, and it seems like America will do its part to get Avatar out of the top spot, the rest of the world needs to pitch in and buy a few more tickets. We know, it’s a sacrifice, but if we work together, we’ll get through it.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)