‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ Tracking For $130 Million Opening Weekend
In many ways,Rogue Oneis different from all the otherStar Warsmovies. It’s the first spinoff, centered on a bunch of characters we’ve never heard of before and may never hear about again. It’s the firstwithout an opening crawland the firstwithout a John Williams score. It’s described as a “darker” affair, more akin to a war drama than a lively space adventure.
But one wayRogue Oneis like every otherStar Warsmovie before it? It’s expected to make tons and tons of money. EarlyRogue Onebox office tracking suggests it’ll open to about $130 million domestically, which would make it the second-highest December debut of all time — behindThe Force Awakens, of course.
The Hollywood Reporterlooked at numbers from a number of different tracking services, with estimates running from the high $120 million range to the near $150 million range. In all, it looks like we can expectRogue Oneto rake in about $130-140 million in its first weekend after hitting theatersDecember 16. Obviously, like all box office tracking, these numbers are just estimates, so take ‘em with a grain of salt.
December isn’t really known for juggernaut opening weekends, but there are some exceptions.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyset a record in 2012 with $84 million, andAvatarpremiered to $77 million in 2009. ButThe Force Awakensblew all those out of the water last year with an absolutely astounding $247 million domestic debut. Not evenRogue One’s projected $130+ million premiere comes close to that.
But then again, no one ever expectedRogue Oneto topThe Force Awakenson that front, not even Disney CEOBob Iger. “We’ve not ever felt it would do the level thatForce Awakensdid, but we’ve been very, very encouraged that the level of interest in this is as high as it was forForce Awakens,” he told investors earlier this fall. WhereasThe Force Awakenswas the first newStar Warsmovie in ten years, and picked up with the three beloved heroes of the original trilogy,Rogue Oneis the first newStar Warsmovie in just twelve months, and has promised to set itself apart bynotfocusing on the Skywalker family.
WhileRogue Oneis the first-everStar Warsspinoff, it’s not the last. A $130 million opening weekend is a strong start for theA Star Wars Storyseries, which will explore characters and stories that fall outside the Skywalker Saga at the center of the “Episode” films. It’s also an excellent finish to 2016 for Disney, which has had already an absolutely fantastic year betweenFinding Dory,Captain America: Civil War,The Jungle Book,Zootopia, andDoctor Strange.
