Excite News: “‘Star Wars’ Earns Record-Breaking $158.5M (AP)
Moviegoers have turned out in full force for the final chapter of the ‘Star Wars’ saga, which took in $158.5 million since its opening to shatter three-day and four-day box office records.
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ grossed $124.7 million from Thursday to Saturday, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s higher than the three-day record set by the first ‘Spider-Man,’ which took in $114.8 million in May 2002 – though ‘Star Wars’ had a lower Friday-Sunday take ($108.5 million) than the Tobey Maguire film.
‘Revenge of the Sith’ rang in a whopping $50 million on its opening Thursday, a single-day record boosted by eagerly anticipated midnight showings, and its total receipts since then beat the four-day $134.3 million opening of 2003’s ‘The Matrix Reloaded.’ The George Lucas film has also grossed $144.7 million overseas for a total of $303 million worldwide.”
