The last of the ‘Star Wars’ movies has done what no movie in history has ever accomplished – sold $50 million worth of tickets in a single day.
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ grossed $50,013,859 from showings at 3,661 theaters and more than 9,000 screens around the country on Thursday, including special midnight shows, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.”
The George Lucas film, which features the transformation of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into the evil Darth Vader, also beat the opening day record held by “Spider-Man 2,” which grossed $40.4 million when it opened on a Wednesday last June.
“Fifty million is a good opening weekend, let alone a single day,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. “This is the box office equivalent of a 100-year flood.”
The film debuted on 2,900 screens at midnight Thursday. The take from that one showing alone was $16.5 million, which beat the previous record of $8 million set by “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in 2003.
Excite News: “‘Star Wars’ Grosses $50M in Single Day
