'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Vaporizes Weekend U.S. Box Office Record

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” made domestic box office history, bringing in an estimated $238 million in its opening weekend, rocketing past the previous record of $208.8 million held by “Jurassic World.”

The movie was a global phenomenon, attracting record audiences in markets such as Australia, Britain, Germany and Russia, according to Rentrak.

“Star Wars'” worldwide take is projected at $517 million, the second-highest opening weekend of all time, behind “Jurassic World’s” $525 million.

Director J.J. Abrams, who successfully reinvigorated the “Star Trek” franchise, worked his magic with “Star Wars,” simultaneously returning the space saga to its roots while giving it a modern, physical feel.

Audiences clearly responded, giving the film an A CinemaScore rating and a 95 percent positive review on Rotten Tomatoes.

That “Star Wars” was poised to shatter box office records was evident from the lines of moviegoers that formed in October when tickets went on advance sale. At the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, devotees slept in lawn chairs for 10 days before the movie’s opening for the chance to get the best seats.

Even before its release, the movie dominated pop culture, with “Saturday Night Live” lampooning the casting process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T_pjMr7-n0

And if you haven’t managed to get into the movie yet, here’s the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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