HOLLYWOOD — The box office has awakened.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” took in a record breaking $57 million at the U.S. box office for its preview showings on Thursday night.
That number blasted the record for the biggest pre-opening in box office history held by “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” which made $43.5 million on its opening night in 2011.
However, to be fair, “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” began its preview showings at Midnight while “Force Awakens” kicked off its U.S. debut at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
So far, the Disney film has been a intergalactic hit with both fans and critics.
The film currently holds a near perfect 95% score on review site, RottenTomatoes.com, and has many fans calling it the best film in the series since 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.”