'Force Awakens' on path for record $200M-plus weekend 

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Force Awakens” fever spread through movie theaters around the globe on Friday, even reaching the White House, as “Star Wars” yet again began toppling box-office records with waves of lightsaber-wielding fans.

Following a record $57 million from Thursday night showings in North America, and packed matinees on Friday, the Walt Disney Co. forecast that “The Force Awakens” will surpass $200 million on the weekend and possibly best the record domestic opening of “Jurassic World,” which debuted with $208.8 million in June.

Such an outcome would surprise few analysts, but the numbers were nevertheless eye-popping. “The Force Awakens” was heading toward a Friday take of more than $100 million domestically, said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney. That would surpass the one-day high of $91.1 million set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” in 2011.

In such rarified territory, Disney has been cautious about overestimating the box-office force of J.J. Abrams’ seventh chapter in George Lucas’ space saga. Disney’s biggest worry has been that moviegoers will be too daunted by sold-out shows and long lines. Hollis has repeatedly reminded that “there are literally millions of tickets available.”

The international rollout for the film, made for about $200 million, has already brought in an estimated total of $72.7 million since opening in a handful of countries Wednesday. “The Force Awakens” is simultaneously opening around the world just about everywhere but China, where it debuts in January.

It’s setting records overseas, too, including the biggest single day ever in the United Kingdom with an estimated $14.4 million on Thursday.