As one executive puts it, if Star Wars: The Force Awakens doesn’t score the biggest debut ever when it hits theaters Dec. 18, he’ll “run up and down Sunset Boulevard naked.” So how high could J.J. Abrams‘ reboot fly? The top U.S. opening is The Avengers, which launched to $207.4 million in May 2012 from 4,349 theaters. Disney’s sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1), could become the new champ, but many believe Force Awakens has every chance of outrunning them both, even with the distraction of Christmas. Globally it could rake in nearly $540 million, topping the three-day record set by the final Harry Potter film ($483.2 million). “If it pleases the fans of the old movies and also appeals to kids, watch out,” says box-office analyst Phil Contrino.
