Box Office: 'Star Wars' Poised to Overtake 'Jurassic World,' ‘Titanic’ on New Year's Day
By Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter
Star Wars: The Force Awakens rang out the year with a domestic total of $652 million as it prepared to overtake Jurassic World and Titanic in North America sometime on New Year’s Day to become the No. 2 title of all time, not accounting for inflation.
Jurassic World grossed $652.3 million this summer in North America, while Titanic earned $658.7 million, including a 3D re-release. [Yahoo editor’s note: The No. 1 movie in North America continues to be Avatar with $760.5 million.]
Worldwide, the Disney and Lucasfilm blockbuster has hit $1.33 billion after earning $15.1 million on Thursday. In North America, Force Awakens took in $22.9 million for the day.
The Disney and Lucasfilm release was among a number of films that saw traffic dip day-over-day because of New Year’s Eve. Exceptions were adult-minded offerings Joy, The Hateful Eight and The Big Short.
Related: George Lucas Sorry for “White Slavers” Remark About Disney
Fox’s Joy, directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence, spiked 23 percent on Thursday, earning $3.2 million from 2,896 theaters for a cume of $28.3 million. The dramedy tied with fellow Fox release Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, which likewise grossed $3.2 million for a total $55.6 million.
Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight also looks to have earned $3.2 million, although numbers weren’t immediately available because of reporting issue with Rentrak. The movie expanded nationwide Wednesday after a promising limited run in 70mm film.
From The Weinstein Co., Hateful Eight hopes to make a strong showing over New Year’s weekend and place in the top five.
The Big Short, the financial dramedy directed by Adam McKay, was up 8 percent from Wednesday to Thursday, earning $2.1 million from 1,585 locations, a modest footprint. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, The Big Short, earning $24 million to date for Paramount and New Regency, will up its theater count on Jan. 8, the weekend before Oscar nominations and the Golden Globes ceremony.
Related: Box Office 2015: How Revenue (Narrowly) Hit a Record $11B in the U.S.
Daddy’s Home stayed safely at No. 2 domestically with $5.9 million from 3,172 locations for a $64.7 million total. The broad comedy, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, is from Paramount and Red Granite Pictures.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s R-rated comedy, Sisters, continues to prosper thanks to keen interest from females. The Universal title grossed an estimated $2.3 million from 2,962 locations for a total approaching $50 million.
Will Smith-starrer Concussion, from Sony and Village Roadshow Pictures, grossed $1.6 million from 2,841 theaters for a total of of $17.4 million.
Point Break, Alcon Entertainment’s extreme sports extravaganza and loose remake of the 1991 cult classic, continued to falter considering its $100 million budget. Distributed by Warner Bros., the movie earned $1.2 million for a North American total of $15.6 million.
Related: NFL Player Pens Essay After Viewing ‘Concussion’: “Football Has Placed Me in Harm’s Way”
Jan. 1, 9:10 a.m. Updated with Thursday numbers.
Watch the 'Force Awakens’ cast demonstrate how to play with their action figures:
