• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentStar Wars

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Scored the Second-Biggest Thursday Opening Ever

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 15, 2017, 1:42 PM ET

It’s not exactly lightspeed, but Star Wars: The Last Jedi is definitely off to a fast start at the box office. The latest addition to the Walt Disney-Lucasfilm Star Wars saga kicked off its first weekend in theaters with the second-biggest Thursday night previews opening ever last night.

Disney said on Friday that The Last Jedi pulled in roughly $45 million in domestic theaters on Thursday night. That’s second only to 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which grossed $57 million in North America in its own first night of preview showings on its way to setting the box-office record for a domestic opening weekend ($247 million). The Force Awakens eventually became the highest-grossing domestic film of all-time, making $936 million in North American theaters and more than $2 billion worldwide.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

As Fortune noted this week, The Last Jedi is not expected to top its predecessor at the box office (despite stellar reviews from critics). Opening weekend estimates from the film industry are forecasting a domestic bow as high as $215 million this weekend for The Last Jedi, which would make it only the fourth film ever to top the $200-million mark in its first weekend.

According to Box Office Mojo, The Last Jedi also pulled in more than $60 million overseas, where the movie started showing in certain countries as early as Wednesday.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

ms shirley
LawObituary
TikTok’s ‘Ms. Shirley,’ who drew 5 million followers watching her care for the homeless, dies at 58
By Rebecca Boone and The Associated PressJanuary 29, 2026
2 hours ago
TikTok influencer Khaby Lame sits and talks.
AISocial Media
Getting deported by Trump can’t stop top influencer Khaby Lame from notching a $975 million deal—including the rights to his AI avatar
By Jake AngeloJanuary 29, 2026
3 hours ago
springsteen
PoliticsMusic
Bruce Springsteen dedicates ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ to ‘innocent immigrant neighbors,’ memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good
By Mark Kennedy and The Associated PressJanuary 29, 2026
4 hours ago
melania
PoliticsWhite House
Now playing at the Trump Kennedy Center: ‘Melania,’ brought to you by Amazon Prime
By Darlene Superville and The Associated PressJanuary 29, 2026
6 hours ago
beast
Personal FinanceSocial Media
MrBeast has figured out his next ‘transformative media channel’: 2.5 million fortune cookies with messages tied to his TV show
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
pratt
Arts & EntertainmentBox office
‘Lord of the Rings’ cracks top 10 in wintry box office weekend topped by Chris Pratt on trial before an AI judge
By Jake Coyle and The Associated PressJanuary 26, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
'I meant what I said in Davos': Carney says he really is planning a Canada split with the U.S. along with 12 new trade deals
By Rob Gillies and The Associated PressJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Fortune 500 CEOs are no longer giving employees an A for effort. Now they want proof of impact
By Claire ZillmanJanuary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Every U.S. Olympian is going home with $200,000, whether they medal or not, thanks to a billionaire's $100 million gift
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The American taxpayer spent nearly half a billion dollars deploying federal troops to U.S. cities in 2025, CBO finds
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Jeff Bezos capped his Amazon salary at $80,000: ‘How could I possibly need more incentive?’
By Sydney LakeJanuary 28, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Ryan Serhant thinks the American Dream was just a 'slogan created by banks,' but it was really about FDR, the Great Depression, and an economic crisis
By Sydney Lake and Nick LichtenbergJanuary 26, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.