Over the holiday weekend, I was going to take my dad to see STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS at the Alamo Drafthouse, since it’s the closest theater to his house. Even checking a day before, pretty much every seat for the showtimes we wanted was sold out. This is after the movie has been open for a week. So look, it’s no mystery the movie is doing really well, and many would say that’s to be expected. But now it’s officially broken yet another box office record (it already has the honor of biggest opening weekend of all time, both domestic and international). Thanks to the holiday weekend, THE FORCE AWAKENS has earned another $153.5 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and $133.3 million (in U.S. dollars) in overseas markets, which means it’s now earned an estimated $1.09 billion (yes, billion with a B) in 12 days of theatrical release. That’s HUGE. This beats JURASSIC WORLD which previously held the record earning $1 billion in 13 days. The estimated figures for STAR WARS (courtesy of Coming Soon) also include another record, as the film earned almost $50 million on Christmas Day alone. And get this, it still hasn’t opened in China, so those numbers will only continue to climb. it still has a little catching up to do before beating AVATAR and TITANIC, but we’re guessing James Cameron is getting his congratulatory note ready as we write this. Have you seen THE FORCE AWAKENS already, and if so did you like it? Think it’s deserving of this huge box office? Let us know in the comments below.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
Saw it Christmas Day with my 9 year-old daughter who loved it. Good to see humor and some thrills back in a Star Wars movie. Han arguing about how fast the Falcon is in “parsecs” was cute. It seemed to be JJ Abrams way of showing that we all, fans and filmmakers alike, need to lighten up and not take this stuff too seriously. Good stuff. Movies like this are why a lot of us are movie fans in the first place.