'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Hits $1Billion

Variety.com: Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren are once again members of the billion-dollar club. Disney’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” crossed $1 billion at the global box office on Tuesday, joining the elusive company of its franchise predecessors, 2015’s “The Force Awakens” and 2017’s “The Last Jedi.”

The movie has made $481 million at the domestic box office and $519 internationally for a worldwide total of $1.001 billion.

It’s a notable achievement, though one that took significantly longer to reach than prior “Star Wars” installments. “Rise of Skywalker,” from director J.J. Abrams, passed the milestone in 28 days. By comparison, it took Abrams’ “The Force Awakens” 12 days and director Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” 19 days.

While still hugely profitable, the sequel trilogy has gotten mixed reception from die-hard “Star Wars” fans. That, in turn, has diminished audience enthusiasm to see adventures that transpire in a galaxy far, far away. “Rise of Skywalker” also generated polarizing reviews and was the only entry among new “Star Wars” films that didn’t receive an “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers.

Ticket sales for the series have steadily declined since sky-high anticipation to see “The Force Awakens” — the first live-action “Star Wars” movie at the time in over 10 years — drove domestic grosses to $936 million, setting an all-time record in the U.S. and Canada. It was also an astronomic success internationally, earning $1.1 billion. Two years later, “The Last Jedi” opened to a wildly divergent reception and brought in $620 million in North America and $712 million abroad.