The Last Jedi rakes it in at box office

Dec 18, 2017 06:00 am

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the new film in the beloved space saga, opened with massive ticket sales that put it on track to ring up around US$200 million (S$269.7 million) at North American theatres over the weekend, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Friday.

The sequel raked in US$45 million in the US and Canada on Thursday night, second only to the US$57 million from 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which went on to generate more than US$2 billion worldwide.

The Last Jedi features US actress Carrie Fisher's final performance as Princess Leia.

Fans' love of the franchise and of Fisher, who died of a heart attack in December last year, is expected to drive heavy ticket sales for The Last Jedi over the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to analysts.

Now showing here, the movie began rolling out last Wednesday in international markets, where it has earned US$60.8 million in its first two days, Disney said. - REUTERS