DHAKA: The new Star Wars film has set a new opening night box office record in the US and Canada.

Industry experts said, reports the BBC.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ made £38m ($57m) on Thursday night, beating the previous record of $43.5m held by ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ in 2011.

Analysts say the space saga could become the biggest selling movie of all time.

The film also set a new opening day box office record in the UK and Ireland.

The £9.64m tally beat the previous best of £9.48m set by ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’. Midnight screenings on Thursday morning accounted for £2.4m of ticket sales.

Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian, one of Hollywood’s best-known box office analysts, said the film's opening night performance in the US and Canada ‘portends a massive and potentially record-breaking opening day and weekend for the film’.

‘The potential for The Force Awakens to ultimately break into the $2bn club worldwide is certainly in the realm of possibility,’ he said.

Jeff Bock, box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, added, ‘As far as breaking records go, it's the strongest candidate we’ve seen in a long, long time’.

‘It might join the $2bn club worldwide, and maybe, just maybe, be the highest grossing film of all-time.’

Analysts expect The Force Awakens to make about $200m in the US and Canada over its opening weekend, a total that could challenge the record Jurassic World set earlier this year.

BDST: 1243 HRS, DEC 19, 2015
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