The Rise of Skywalker opens to impressive numbers…but…

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens today, and everyone has something to say about it. The fans have something to say. The critics have something to say. Heaven knows we have thoughts. But what about the only thing that really matters to Disney? How much money is the movie making?

Well, obviously a lot; this is a new Star Wars movie we’re talking about. But how much exactly? Variety reports that The Rise of Skywalker has raked in $40 in Thursday night preview screenings. That’s a lot of money — in fact, it’s the fifth highest Thursday preview box office return in history. The wrinkle is that both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi earned more, $57 million and $45 million respectively.

If you’re wondering, the other two movies in that top five are Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 ($44 million) and Avengers: Endgame ($60 million), which will probably remain on top for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, this all sets up The Rise of Skywalker to have a fantastic opening weekend. It’ll likely take in somewhere in the neighborhood of $400-$450 million, which is good, but again, not as much as The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi earned. And the bulk of the haul is expected to come in from Western markets. According to Variety, Rise of Skywalker only pulled in $3.6 million from previews in China, a huge film market where Star Wars has just never caught on, despite Disney’s best efforts.

There’s also the question of whether the movie will have a long tail, given the divisive response among critics and fans alike. We’ll find out soon enough. And if you’re not interested in Star Wars, there’s always Cats. Or better yet, why not combine the two?

Or if movies aren’t your thing to begin with, there’s always The Mandalorian.

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