New ‘Star Wars’ storms box office

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” — the seventh installment in the wildly popular film and merchandise phenomenon — topped box office records Friday night.

Walt Disney Company projected the film could earn $215 million before the weekend ends, eclipsing the record-setting domestic premiere of “Jurassic World” in June.

The J.J Abrams written and directed film — which picks up where the 1983 classic “Return of the Jedi” left off — took in $120.5 million in its first day in North American theaters, including $57 million in sales for previews Thursday night.

The numbers surpassed a previous record set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” which amassed $43.5 million in preview ticket sales in 2011.

Isaiah Sanchez, 3, of San Francisco, swings a lightsaber during a Star Wars themed lightsaber battle at Sue Bierman Park in San Francisco, California, December 18, 2015. Photo by Stephen Lam/Reuters

Devoted fans across the country waited for hours — many in costume — to catch a glimpse of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprising their roles from the original trilogy, which first hit theaters in May of 1977.

Others planned in advance, purchasing tickets days or even months beforehand — theaters sold $100 million worth of advance sale tickets in the days leading up to Thursday’s premiere.

NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown reviewed the hype around this week’s premiere:

Walt Disney — which acquired the franchise’s original producer Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012 — spent $200 million producing the latest installment.

The film is expected for gross $1.5 to $2 billion globally, according to the LA Times.

Another four franchise films are expected to follow “The Force Awakens” over the next four years.

The film opened in dozens of countries this week, but won’t hit the world’s second-largest film consuming market — China — until Jan. 9.