Box-office records keep piling up at warp speed for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the long-awaited seventh movie in the science-fiction franchise.
On Tuesday, the film reached $600 million in North American ticket sales in a record 12 days, far outstripping the 36 it took previous record-holder “Jurassic World,” reports Variety.
The $600.9 million reaped by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” puts it fifth on the domestic box-office list, behind 2009’s “Avatar” ($760.5 million), 1997’s “Titanic” ($658.67 million), this year’s “Jurassic World” ($652.27 million) and 2012’s “Marvel’s The Avengers” ($623.36 million) — though adjusted for inflation, “The Force Awakens” sits at No. 33, behind 1959’s “Sleeping Beauty” and ahead of 1984’s “Ghostbusters.”
Worldwide, it has displaced “Iron Man 3” (2013) to become the No. 9 highest-grossing film, scoring $1.22 billion against that Marvel movie’s $1.215 billion. According to Box Office Mojo, “The Force Awakens” has set more than 35 box-office records, including the fastest movie to reach $100, $200, $300, $400 and $500 million. It stands a shot at surpassing current champ “Avatar,” which totaled $2.79 billion in 238 days of release.
In other “Star Wars”-related news:
FISHER STRIKES BACK. Carrie Fisher slammed Internet trolls who criticized the 59-year-old actress’ physical appearance in her role as General Leia Organa, despite her losing between 35 and 40 pounds through diet and exercise for the role. “Please stop debating about whether or not I aged well,” she tweeted in response. “Unfortunately it hurts all 3 of my feelings,” the famously witty memoirist wrote. “My BODY hasn’t aged as well as I have,” she said before adding a humorously obscene instruction. “My body is my brain bag, it hauls me around to those places & in front of faces where theres[sic] something to say or see,” she posted subsequently. “Youth & Beauty R/NOT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, they’re the TEMPORARY happy BiProducts of Time &/or DNA.”
ADVICE FROM STEWART. One star who found fame at a young age had advice for another: Kristen Stewart advising 23-year-old Daisy Ridley, who plays breakout character Rey in “The Force Awakens,” to “focus on the fact that you’re stoked ‘cause you’re doing the work that you want to do.” And the 25-year-old “Twilight” star added on a “Hollywood Reporter” podcast: “It’s literally mainly just about focusing on what makes you happy. And if losing your anonymity or whatever doesn’t make you happy, then focus on something else.”
LEO AS ANAKIN? Leonardo DiCaprio could have played Anakin Skywalker in the prequel films, rather than Hayden Christensen. The acclaimed actor, 41, told the British weekly magazine ShortList, “I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that,” but “just didn’t feel ready to take that dive.”
