Star Wars Opening Night Sets a Record

And it looks ready to break more records

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Dec 18, 2015 12:09 PM CST

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Star Wars Opening Night Sets a Record — Tim Johnson, left, walks into the theater with his sons Beckett and Simon while dressed in costumes during opening night of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at Century Theatre in Boulder, Colo., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015. (Jeremy Papasso/Daily Camera via AP)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has sent a box office record with an estimated $57 million from Thursday night shows. The Walt Disney Co.'s estimate on Friday easily surpassed the previous Thursday night record of $43.5 million by 2011's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Star Wars' international rollout, which began Wednesday, has brought in a total of $72.7 million. That includes the biggest single day ever in the United Kingdom, where it made an estimated $14.4 million. The early figures suggest The Force Awakens is on course to exceed the record domestic opening of Jurassic World, which debuted with $208.8 million. (Read more Star Wars stories.)