Star Wars set to make fastest $100 million

Star Wars: The Force Awakens matinees are putting the movie on course to top $100 million in North American ticket sales through Friday, giving the picture a good chance to break the $208.8 million opening-weekend record set this summer by Jurassic World.

The trend, if it holds, would also mark the first time a movie has surpassed $100 million so soon, Walt Disney Co said in an e-mailed statement, topping the mark held by a Harry Potter picture. The projection includes record Thursday revenue, with Saturday and Sunday still to go. "There are literally millions of tickets available for this weekend, and exhibitors have a lot of flexibility in terms of capacity and increasing the number of shows based on demand," Dave Hollis, Disney's head of distribution, said.

The film industry's transition to digital distribution over the past decade means Disney doesn't have to ship reels of film to add screens. That's allowed theatres to add new showings as others sell out. Star Wars: The Force Awakens took in an estimated $57 million in Thursday evening ticket sales in North America, Disney Co, breaking a four-year-old record.

"We will continue to add showtimes to accommodate the avid fans that have been eagerly awaiting the seventh film in this blockbuster series," Amy Miles, chief executive officer of Regal Entertainment Group, the largest US exhibitor, said.

Screenings of The Force Awakens started Thursday night in theatres across the US and Canada. The previous record for such previews was the $43.5 million set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011, according to data from Rentrak Corp. That film also held the one-day record of $91.1 million.

The receipts could allay concerns of Disney investors, who sold off the stock on Friday after BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield cut his rating to sell. He said Star Wars profits won't offset larger troubles Disney faces from shrinking subscribers at the ESPN sports network.

Disney fell 3.8 per cent to $107.72 at the close Friday in New York, on a day when the wider market was also down sharply. The stock has gained 14 per cent this year.

Star Wars is opening in 4,134 theatres in the US and Canada, a record number for a December film debut. The film is now playing in 32 international markets, opening at No 1 in each of them and taking in a total of $72.7 million overseas in a two-day period, Disney said.