The Last Jedi Passes Iron Man 3 at Worldwide Box Office

The Last Jedi Passes Iron Man 3 at Worldwide Box Office

Even as the film winds down at the box office, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is continuing its ascent as it passes Iron Man 3 at the global box office. The 2017 box office was full of surprises, from Wonder Woman‘s and IT‘s staggering success to Justice League‘s disappointing returns. But few could argue that they were shocked by The Last Jedi‘s dominance in theaters. Though the film was never going to best The Force Awakens, Star Wars 8 has passed Rogue One at the box office on its climb up the all-time rankings.

Outside of Lucasfilm’s other offerings, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is still performing remarkably well—much to the chagrin of its vocal detractors. Just last week, The Last Jedi entered the top 20 all-time earners at the global box office. Between the shocking story, the Star Wars name, and the rising stars of the cast, The Last Jedi is proving that Lucasfilm were wise to give Rian Johnson so much control over the franchise. And though J.J. Abrams will be back to round out the trilogy, Johnson’s many additions and alterations will remain a firm part of the Star Wars mythos. And given the film’s performance, it’s not hard to see why.

Deadline is reporting that the Monday numbers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi have seen it pass Iron Man 3 as the number 12 all-time earner at the worldwide box office. Pulling in $8.6 million globally, the film now sits at $574.5M domestically and $640.8M internationally. Combined, that means Star Wars 8 has earned $1.2 billion worldwide and still has some time left to increase its haul.

While the film is trending below The Force Awakens, it’s still doing better than Rogue One at a similar point in its run. It seems that all the positive press—and likely even some of the negative—has continued to bring audiences to the theaters in droves. That said, things haven’t all gone according to plan.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi rolled out across much of the world over a period of a week and a half, giving it considerable momentum at the box office. But it wasn’t until recently that the film hit China. Ultimately, Star Wars 8‘s opening weekend in China was disappointing, with the film losing out to a local romantic comedy sequel. Of course, Wonder Woman also had trouble at the international box office but still managed a sizable return. As for China specifically, it seems Hollywood’s brief obsession with the Middle Kingdom may be coming to a close.

Despite some seeming setbacks, the astronomical success of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is still yet another feather in Disney’s cap. Not only did the movie help them win 2017 at the box office, but it’s already giving them a strong start to 2018. And while detractors will scoff at Star Wars 8 falling short of The Force Awakens, it’s hard to ignore that $1.2B and rising is a huge sign of The Last Jedi‘s success.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Solo: A Star Wars Story release date: May 25, 2018
Star Wars 9 / Star Wars: Episode IX release date: Dec 20, 2019