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For a Star Wars fan born on January 6, this is a great birthday present!

This is something I mentioned during the holidays. I think this movie will play like a family movie from here on out...which means... LEGS. Long, gorgeous, beautiful legs.

Maybe it can, but the best historical comparisons suggest otherwise. AOTC earned about 72% of TPM's first run, but also benefited from an extra year or so of ticket price inflation. Maybe the inflation loss is offset by the better reception that TFA has received? Unless TFA is building a new fan base (which may be possible with the Katniss appeal of a female lead), I think VIII land in the 700 - 750 range.

Good hold. Makes a 45+ weekend seem very likely.

Don't they nominate 10 these days? If so, why not?

I cried like a baby at the end.

I think it fits like a glove. Immaculate conception was introduced in Episode I. Why not reincarnation with Episode VII? There are certainly hints she's a Skywalker, I'll agree. But none of them necessitate that she's Luke's daughter. I'll grant you that they don't necessarily mean she's Anakin II, either. But I think Star Wars, as a nine movie series, works better as a story about the Chosen One. It feels more coherent and thematically consistent. Remember, the very first dialogue in the movie has a blatant statement that there still isn't balance in the Force, and that the Jedi need to return to restore it. The prophecy of the Chosen One has yet to be fulfilled.

That used to be more true than it is today. The LOTR films grew their audience from one to the next. The Matrix Reloaded out grossed the Matrix. The Dark Knight absolutely obliterated Batman Begins.

Try it drunk. I'm not joking.

Next time you watch the film, have this theory in mind. There are a lot of beats that resonate more powerfully if you come from the standpoint that Rey is Anakin, sent back to fulfill a prophecy. We've had immaculate conception in this saga. Why not borrow a theme from Eastern religion this time with reincarnation? (I suppose Christianity has it too) Rey being Luke's daughter just seems 1) too obvious and 2) in conflict with Luke's devotion to the Jedi.

She isn't Luke Skywalker's daughter, but she does have repressed memories. Repressed memories from a previous life. These movies are about Anakin Skywalker. She's a reincarnated Anakin Skywalker / Chosen One. Another immaculate conception by the Force. That's why she's so skillful at fixing things, is deeply connected to Anakin's lightsaber, has flashbacks to Cloud City in which she hears Vader's breathing, Yoda and Obi-Wan. Think about her wearing the helmet at the beginning of the movie at the foot of the AT-AT. She evokes a young Ani / Jake Lloyd. She's here to fulfill the prophecy of the Chosen One, and Jakku was her purgatory for her prior life's crimes. She's Korra. I've watched this movie five times now, and each time I feel more certain this is Rey's story. I think it's sort of beautiful, operatic, and emotionally resonant. It gives Episodes VIII and IX enormous narrative potential.

I maxed out at 6 with ROTK. I'm at 5 with TFA...I'll probably get to 6, but not more than that.

$800M will be a considerable drop from this one. The thing is, unlike the drop from TPM to AOTC, TFA is extremely well received. I'm not really sure what that means for the domestic haul, but it surely can't mean bad things.

It will. $800M is mad business any way you slice it.

This movie's run is simply absurd. I also think I've pieced together where they're going with this trilogy...and in my mind it has the potential for some legendary story telling, and some insane holds from movie to movie. But that's for another thread...maybe even another sub-forum.

Add to that an empty market place, and the fact that I think this movie plays really well to kids. After this week's hard drop, it should level off nicely and eclipse $1B. The only thing working against it is the digital release date in March. It may lose theaters quickly after January.

I agree, I don't think it gets to $1.1B anymore, but it's likely to get to $1B. It's possible it doesn't beat Titanic, but not very possible. This last weekend the OS to DOM split was 52 to 48. That's a holiday weekend that's usually slower internationally than it is domestically. I expect to the OS to DOM gap to broaden (minus China) over the coming weeks and settle around 52 to 48. At $1B domestically, that $1.08B internationally, and you need about $100M from China for Titanic to go down. In other words, it needs to be a pretty colossal flop in China to miss that mark. I just don't see it. Again, it's possible, just not "very possible."

It's only bad if you were expecting this movie to make north of $1.1B domestically. So, in other words, it's not bad at all.

This is about the way I calc it too. It's going to be hard to miss $1B.

Possible, but unlikely. It will eclipse $1B OS without China. It's showing very good legs internationally, and outpacing its already insane domestic legs (for an opener of this size). I was thinking $1.1B domestic, $1.2B (minus China) OS, but TFA's drops are a little higher than I anticipated on the domestic front. I think it gets to $1B, but stalls out there. Internationally, $1.1B seems like a safe bet, without China. With a weak China, you're looking at $1.2B, and Titanic is still a goner. It will have to be a gigantic flop in China not to get over Titanic WW.

I think Star Wars 77 is its own level. The other three you can argue about market conditions and whatnot, because they're not separated by much when adjusting for inflation. Particularly if you look at their first runs only.

ANH is the bigger box office phenomenon, but there's no doubt in my mind TFA will make a ton more money overall. Disney is a revenue machine.

Yeah, but I think TFA is in the same conversation as the other four Jaros mentioned.

Until now, right? ;-)

Food for thought: For the sake of argument, let's say Episode VII lands at $1B (personally, I think it goes a little higher, close to $1.1B). Attack of the Clones earned 72% of TPM's gross. ROTS about 88%. If Episode VIII and IX perform similarly, we'd be looking at domestic hauls of $720M and $880M. And why not think they will? TFA's critical and public reception is orders of magnitude better than TPM's. Just goes to show this franchise's power in the USA. All three movies are likely candidates to challenge Avatar's number.