Following in the footsteps of Avengers: Endgame?: When the box office predictions for 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' soared

The Force is strong with this one, or so the box office predictions for "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" suggested. According to Variety, industry experts speculated that the final installment of the Skywalker saga could rake in between $175M to $200M based on early tracking numbers.

Box Office Predictions: "Only Seven Films Have Ever Exceeded $200M" in Opening Weekends

Astonishingly, only seven films in the history of cinema have managed to exceed the $200M mark in their opening weekends. These include earlier Star Wars entries "The Force Awakens" with $247M and "The Last Jedi" with $220M. The Rise of Skywalker had the potential to join this exclusive club, a testament to the enduring popularity of the franchise.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, who also helmed "The Force Awakens", the film continues the narrative a year after the events of "The Last Jedi". It promised a showdown between the Resistance and the First Order, bringing to a climax the age-old conflict between the Jedi and the Sith.

An All-Star Cast: "Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac"

The stellar ensemble cast boasts names like Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. Notably, the late Carrie Fisher, who passed away in 2016 before the film's shooting, also made an appearance via unused footage from previous Star Wars movies.

It was predicted that "The Rise of Skywalker" will add another feather to Disney's already decorated cap, wrapping up an exceptional year of record-breaking movie ticket sales. The entertainment giant hit unprecedented highs with "Avengers: Endgame", the biggest movie in history, and with films like "The Lion King", "Captain Marvel", "Toy Story 4" and "Aladdin", each contributing to a staggering $1B in gross revenue.

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", which premiered on December 20th, seemed set to send Disney's winning streak to a galaxy far, far away.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)