When asked about the box office projections of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story some months ago, Disney CEO Bob Iger stressed that the imminent spinoff isn’t expected to hit the lofty heights of The Force Awakens, which broke new ground for Lucasfilm’s beloved space opera after pulling in over $2 billion.
However that may be, unlike, say, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Rogue One still bears the Star Wars name for all to see, meaning that even if Disney has tempered box office expectations, Gareth Edwards’ anthology movie is still expected to do big business in little under a month’s time. In fact, early figures unearthed by The Hollywood Reporter now claim Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is tracking for an opening weekend in the region of $130 million, which would make it December’s second biggest opening behind only The Force Awakens.
[zergpaid]That speculative figure accounts for North America, with one analyst going so far as to claim that the prequel could reach $150 million by December 18. Don’t get too carried away, though, as another outlet has posted a more conservative estimate, claiming Rogue One will land in the bracket of $120 million. Keep in mind that all of these figures are subject to change, and only when Disney and Lucasfilm’s gritty offshoot graces theaters on December 16 will we have a better handle on its box office mileage.
Until then, a batch of Empire covers have beamed online to sate our collective appetite. Embedded below, these one-sheets are essentially portraits for each of the movie’s principal characters – more are expected to be revealed as the day wears on – and follow in the footsteps of the subscribers’ cover that placed the Death Star front and center.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story slams into theaters on December 16.
