Skip to main content

Star Wars: The Force Awakens shatters pre-sale records, epic IMAX poster revealed

star wars the force awakens end credits shot
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s hardly a surprise that Star Wars: The Force Awakens ticket pre-sales have been impressive, but the sheer magnitude is jaw-dropping. Not only did the iconic franchise’s forthcoming installment take over The Hunger Games‘ record for most tickets sold on its first day, Fandango data shows that it did so eight times over. Additionally, IMAX pre-sales are also off the charts, reaching $6.5 million in domestic tickets alone. To top if off, a new Star Wars IMAX poster (pictured in full below) was recently revealed; basically Star Wars fever has hit hard.

The Force Awakens has claimed every IMAX pre-sale record for itself, topping the likes of The Hunger Games: Catching FireThe Dark Knight Rises, and Avengers, each of which generated about $1 million in their first reported pre-sales, according to Deadline. Shows have already sold out, with Fandango reporting that this is especially true of IMAX. Theaters are having to add additional show times in response to the exceptional demand.

The record is especially impressive considering the fact that Fandango (along with multiple other sites in the U.S., and across the pond) crashed under the weight of all those pre-sale ticket buyers.

“This is an extraordinary time for the industry, which experienced unprecedented ticketing demand last night for Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” a Fandango representative said in a statement. “The enthusiasm for this year’s most anticipated movie is out of this world and we expect it to continue all the way to its debut on Dec. 18.”Though it’s apparently not all that necessary, AMC recently launched an incentive for viewers to catch The Force Awakens in IMAX. The theater chain has offered up exclusive posters for IMAX viewers who attend Sunday showings between Dec. 20 and Jan. 10. The first of the lot was revealed Sunday, and, needless to say, it’s pretty epic.

The Force Awakens, which opens on Dec. 18, has been particularly exciting to fans because it brings back original cast members, including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, for the first time since the trilogy that started it all.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Everything leaving Netflix in May 2024
Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce as Bud and Exley looking into a car in L.A. Confidential.

Netflix is always at its best when it has a robust lineup of movies from other studios to go along with its original films. But in May, Netflix is going to lose a lot of great flicks, because several of its movies on loan from rival studios are going back home. This month, that includes L.A. Confidential, the first four Hunger Games movies, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and even Where the Crawdads Sing, which enjoyed a nearly 18-month run on Netflix following its theatrical release.

Fox's short-lived sitcom The Mick is also departing Netflix, which tends to shed movies more often than it does shows. But there is an upside to this month's content migration: May has a full 31 days and a holiday weekend. That should go a long way toward helping plan your movie nights so you can catch these films and shows before they depart.

Read more
Everything leaving Hulu in May 2024
Aaron Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking.

May is one of the longest months of the year, and Hulu subscribers may need all 31 days to catch some of their favorite movies before they leave at the end of the month. The brilliant satire Thank You For Smoking, the intense noir thriller L.A. Confidential, The Wrestler, Taken, Salt, Life of Pi, Scarface, and more are all on their way out of the door. Some of them have gone through this cycle before and come back to Hulu. But there's no guarantee that you'll see them again on this streaming service.

Right now, you have time to catch all of these films at your leisure. If you go through our list of everything leaving Hulu in May 2024, it should be easy start planning your movie nights in advance. Our favorite picks for the month are in bold.

Read more
Everything coming to PBS in May 2024
Suranne Jones and Eve Best in MaryLand.

Although the programming on PBS in May could look slight compared to April, remember that new episodes of Guilt and A Brief History of the Future will also premiere this month. The only drama series debuting in May is Maryland, a new British series that is making its American premiere on PBS. And if that's not enough drama for you, Great Performances will have feature new productions of Hamlet and Purlie Victorious.

Throughout the month, PBS will air multiple news, nature, and investigative reports as specials and standalone episodes. Near the end of May, music lovers can look forward to the National Memorial Day Concert 2024 and a tribute to the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Read more