Caffeinated Clint
The year’s most anticipated movie, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” doesn’t screen in movie theaters nationwide until tonight, but it has already broken Fandango’s record for the most tickets sold for any film during its entire theatrical run. Even more impressive, this ticketing record was achieved during the pre-release window.
“’The Force Awakens’ is a genuine cultural phenomenon,” says Fandango President Paul Yanover. “The extraordinary ticketing demand is truly unprecedented. It is Fandango’s top-selling movie of all time, even before it has even hit theater screens. It’s great to see that all fans can enjoy the ‘Star Wars’ experience, as our theater partners continue to add new screens and new showtimes every day.”
“We are obviously very encouraged by the record-breaking presales for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’” says Dave Hollis, Executive Vice President, Theatrical Distribution at Walt Disney Pictures, “but there are literally millions of tickets available for this weekend, and exhibitors have a lot of flexibility in terms of capacity and increasing the number of shows based on demand.”
Fandango’s latest pulse of the ticket-buying public underscores the magnitude of this moviegoing milestone. According to a survey of more than 1,000 “Star Wars” fans on Fandango:
• 79% say that seeing “The Force Awakens” in theaters is a cultural event;
• 65% indicate that “The Force Awakens” is part of their holiday plans with family and friends;
• 63% are planning to see the movie multiple times on the big screen.
Fandango is working daily with all the nation’s exhibitors, including Regal Cinemas, AMC Theatres, Cinemark, Carmike and every major theater chain across the country, to continue to expand show time selection to meet the fan demand.
As of today, Fandango’s new list of Top Five Ticket-Sellers of All Time is as follows:
1. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015)
2. “Jurassic World” (2015)
3. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013)
4. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)
5. “The Hunger Games” (2012)
