Riding Globes, ‘1917’ ends ‘Star Wars’ box-office reign
LOS ANGELES — It took the Great War to finally take down “Star Wars.”
Director Sam Mendes’ World War I story “1917″ brought in $36.5 million in its first weekend of wide release, easily topping the box office and ending the three-week reign of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which brought in $15 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Universal’s expansion strategy worked beautifully for “1917,” as the film went from just 11 screens in its first two weeks to more than 3,400 on the weekend after it won Golden Globes for best director and best drama film, and just before Monday’s Academy Award nominations, where it’s likely to get nods in several categories.
“This is the blueprint for how to perfectly execute the platform release for a potential Oscar nominee and Oscar winner,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.