Solo: A Star Wars Story got off to a record start with $14.1 million in Thursday night previews. That’s a record for a Memorial Day Weekend release but it looks like The Force is being tested in a big way as we head into the weekend.
Comparing it to the first Star Wars spinoff, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it falls way behind the $29 million earned by that film during its Thursday night preview launch. On the one hand, it did come out during the leggy December holiday in 2016 BUT Solo features more recognizable characters, albeit played by different people, while Rogue One was largely a new cast of characters. Rogue One eventually opened to a staggering $155 million.
I predicted a $150 million start for Solo and unless it gets amped up a bit over the holiday weekend, it may not reach that milestone but I still think it has a shot at the Memorial Day Weekend record which is currently held but Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($139.8 million).
Rival studios aren’t as impressed with the record Thursday number. Some are comparing it to Justice League’s launch of $13 million in Thursday previews which led to a weekend of $93.8 million. Justice League was rotten with a 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes while Solo is fresh at 70% which is good but not great. Comparing the two films seems a bit off but media outlets are reporting that social media reaction is pretty mixed as we head into its first day of wide release.
We will have to watch how this one plays out.
