Once 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is finally released, we may have a new highest grossing film of all time.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, box-office tracking data now suggests that 'The Force Awakens' will gross $2.7 billion worldwide. That will put its total right up with the current #1 movie, 'Avatar,' which took home $2,787, 965, 087.
Box office analysts Barton Crockett wrote that the base assumption is that 'The Force Awakens' will make $730 million domestic, slightly behind 'Avatar's' $761 million number. However, its opening weekend will be about $200 million, far ahead of 'Avatar's' $77 million opening, and he noted that December movies usually earn about five times what was made in the first weekend.
That would mean 'The Force Awakens' will top 'Avatar' for domestic gross, and assuming that the international box office is 2.5 times the domestic revenue, that would give us the $2.7 million number. The race for biggest movie ever will certainly be tight.
A lot of people think 'The Force Awakens' will edge out 'Avatar,' though, most notably Steven Spielberg. The director recently saw the film and said, "I think this new Star Wars could be the biggest movie ever."
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' opens on December 18.