'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' will easily vault over 'Cats' when it comes to US ticket sales, say early projections
Early projections have said 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' will effortlessly vault over 'Cats' when it comes to US ticket sales after the year-end BO packs up this weekend. As reported by THR, 'Rise of Skywalker' is touted to rake in between $175 and $200 million. The site also added Disney was looking at an approximation of $160 million. The previous installment, 'The Last Jedi', banked $220 million upon its debut in 2017. But it was 'The Force Awakens' that held the record with $248 million in 2015.
'Rise of Skywalker' has an ensemble cast including John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, and the late Carrie Fisher. As far as early reactions go, the epic saga holds the second-lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As far as its competition goes, 'Cats' has been a major disappointment. THR in its report also added that 'Cats' pulled off an ambitious move by opening against 'Star Wars' and trackers expect it to make at least $14-17 million during their opening weekend.
According to Complex, what would work for 'Cats' is the presence of big names: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Sir Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and Rebel Wilson. This would help in boosting the figures although matching up to 'Rise of the Skywalker' would be an uphill climb.
The Rise of Skywalker had its world premiere in Los Angeles on December 16, 2019, and releases worldwide on December 20. LucasFilm had initially roped in 'Jurassic World' director Colin Trevorrow to direct the film but the two parted ways amid speculations that the director's departure was due to the poor reviews of 'Book of Henry.' After a short search, the studio announced it would bring JJ Abrams, who directed 'The Force Awakens', back to the franchise to wrap up the trilogy.