Disney rolled out its highly-anticipatedSolo: A Star Wars Storyin theaters nationwide for Thursday sneak preview screenings, and it has already set a new box office record. The Thursday sneak peek tallies are in, withSolo: A Star Warsstory earning $14.1 million, the highest Thursday sneak peek over theMemorial Dayholiday weekend, breaking the record of $13.2 million set byPirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Endin 2007. That movie also holds the all-time four-day Memorial Day weekend box office record of $139.8 million, which is in jeopardy of being broken bySolo: A Star Wars Storynow.
Early box office projections had putSolo: A Star Wars Storyat $170 million for the four-day holiday weekend, but those predictions have cooled considerably, with projections now between the $130 million and $150 million range for the four-day weekend. Disney will roll outSolo: A Star Wars Storyin 4,381 theaters this weekend, the fifth widest release in history, just barely beating outIron Man 3by one theater (4,380).Solo: A Star Wars Storywill also likely mark the first Memorial Day weekend film to gross over $100 million in four years, since the $110.5 million tally ofX-Men: Days of Future Pastin 2014. Here’s what Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, had to say about this year’s holiday frame.
“Memorial Day weekend needs to get its groove back after a multi-year downturn that ranked last year’s frame at No. 18 all-time for the holiday and unfortunately marked the third straight year the industry did not deliver a $100 million four-day opener.Sololooks to restore this holiday frame to its former glory and its place as one of the most important weekends of the year and the all-important summer movie season.”
Unlike most holiday weekends, which are normally jam-packed with some of the biggest films of the year,Solo: A Star Wars Storywill have the four-day frame to itself, although it will have to contend with last weekend’s winner,Deadpool 2, which took in $125.5 million last weekend and is likely eyeing a second weekend in second place with between $50 million and $60 million, withAvengers: Infinity Warlikely slipping to third place with roughly $20 million,Book Clublikely falling to fourth with between $10 million and $12 million andLife of the Partylikely rounding out the top 5 with a tally between $5 million and $7 million.
Solo: A Star Wars Storywill likely have the lowest three-day (Friday through Sunday) tally, which we’re projecting at $110.5 million, since Disney purchased LucasFilm in 2012. 2015’sStar Wars: The Force Awakensdebuted with a then-record of $247.9 million, while 2016’sRogue One: A Star Wars Storyearned $155 million and last year’sStar Wars: The Last Jedidebuted with $220 million.Solo: A Star Wars Storyalso marks the return to the traditional May release date for theStar Warsfranchise, with this exact date also marking the 41st anniversary ofStar Wars: A New Hopeand the 35th anniversary ofStar Wars: Return of the Jedi. You can head over toVarietyfor their full report on the holiday weekend box office.
