Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker #1 Opening Weekend

By Reggie's Take on December 22, 2019

The force was strong this weekend for Lucasfilm as the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker finishes number one in it’s opening weekend.

The final film in the Skywalker saga pulled in more than $40 million in its early screenings on Thursday night and opened the weekend box office on Friday with $90 million. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will finish up its first weekend earning $175.5 million domestically and another $198 million in overseas markets putting the The Rise of Skywalker‘s global total at $374 million.

The Rise of Skywalker $175.5 million domestic totals puts it behind The Force Awakens (2015) $248 million debut and The Last Jedi (2017) $220 million opening weekend. The Rise of Skywalker $175.5 million makes it the third biggest opening of 2019 behind fellow Disney movies Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King.

When The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi ended their theater runs The Force Awakens earned $2.1 billion and The Last Jedi $1.3 billion. The critics don’t seem to be in love with The Rise of Skywalker with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 57%, but fans don’t seem to care and is currently holding an audience Rotten Tomatoes score of 86%.

Does this mean The Rise of Skywalker will be less successful? Not necessarily. With Christmas and New Years falling in the middle of the next two weeks and families off of work and the kids out of school The Rise of Skywalker should continue to do strong numbers.

Reggie’s Take:
For personally I haven’t had the chance to see The Rise of Skywalker in theaters and probably won’t until next weekend. Not because I have some issue with Lucasfilm or this new trilogy, but because of life and work. I really loved The Force Awakens and liked and enjoyed The Last Jedi. Exactly how this sequel trilogy will rank with me personally compared to the previous two trilogies I won’t know for sure until after I’ve watched The Rise of Skywalker.

I am planning to do a Podcast review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and talk about the Skywalker Saga as whole and where I hope Lucasfilm and Disney take the Star Wars franchise in the future.