admin In its opening weekend, the latest Star Wars blockbuster ranked in $374m (£288m) in global ticket sales. The latest released of the series in North America ranked as one of the best December openings.
It is expected to end a strong year for distributor Disney, with a string of hits grossing more than $1bn.
The film, starring Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, is the final chapter in the Skywalker saga begun by George Lucas in 1977. It is set one year after its predecessor.
The director of movie JJ Abrams has received mixed reviews from critics with some describing the plot as unimaginative.
The Rise of Skywalker pulled in North America which is the world’s largest film market, about $176m.
Senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co Jeff Bock stated the opening weekend takings marked a “great number for December”.
But further he added “That’s a cause for concern no matter how big your franchise is,” as the US sales showed a 20% decline from the previous instalment.
The Force Awakens which was released in 2015, took about $517m in its opening weekend. And released two years later, The Last Jedi, scored $450m in its global debut.
However, many fans despite the softer debut showed their enthusiasm for the Star Wars franchise.
Some attended cinemas dressed as their favourite characters for marathon screenings of the eight films leading up to The Rise of Skywalker.
The Hollywood blockbuster looks set to end a solid year for Disney.
The entertainment giant has enjoyed huge box office success with films including Frozen 2, Lion King and Aladdin. Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame smashed box office records and within five days it had become the fastest film to break the $1bn sales barrier worldwide.
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