'Star Wars' Opens on Record Path With $120.5 Million by Friday

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” matinees helped push the movie to a record $120.5 million in North American ticket sales through Friday, giving the space adventure a good chance to break the $208.8 million opening-weekend record set last summer by “Jurassic World.”

It also marks the first time a movie has surpassed $100 million so soon, Walt Disney Co. said Saturday in an e-mailed statement, topping the record held by a “Harry Potter” picture. The projection includes record Thursday revenue of about $57 million, with Saturday and Sunday still to go. Disney said the Friday total “keeps us forecasting an opening weekend near $220 million.”

“There are literally millions of tickets available for this weekend, and exhibitors have a lot of flexibility in terms of capacity and increasing the number of shows based on demand,” Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution, said Friday in a statement.

The film industry’s transition to digital distribution over the past decade means Disney doesn’t have to ship extra reels of film to increase the screen count. That’s allowed theaters to add new showings as others sell out.

“We will continue to add showtimes to accommodate the avid fans that have been eagerly awaiting the seventh film in this blockbuster series,” Amy Miles, chief executive officer of Regal Entertainment Group, the largest U.S. exhibitor, said Friday.

Thursday Screenings

Screenings of “The Force Awakens” started Thursday night in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The previous record for such previews was the $43.5 million set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” in 2011, according to data from Rentrak Corp. That film also held the one-day record of $91.1 million.

Disney said the film premiered in some foreign markets on Wednesday. It opened Friday in Spain and Japan, helping to push total international sales to $129.5 million through that day and bringing the global gross to $250 million so far. The picture is now playing in all markets except Greece and India, where it opens Dec. 24, and China, where it opens Jan. 9, Disney said. The U.K. led international sales with $24.7 million through Friday.

The receipts may allay concerns of Disney investors, who sold off the stock on Friday after BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield cut his rating to sell. He said “Star Wars” profits won’t offset larger troubles that Disney faces from shrinking subscribers at the ESPN sports network.

Disney shares fell 3.8 percent to $107.72 at the New York close on Friday, a day when the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slid 1.8 percent. The stock has gained 14 percent this year.

“Star Wars” is opening in 4,134 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, a record for a December debut.

“We’re making sure there are numerous daily showtimes for ‘Star Wars’ available at all of our locations across the country,” said Mark Zoradi, CEO of Cinemark Holdings Inc., one of the largest exhibitors.