To coincide with the release of the film’s final trailer on Monday, advance tickets for Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker went on sale to the public on Monday night.
Whether it was the chilling impact of the action-packed trailer, pure coincidence, or some other force that inspired people to buy their tickets, sales were booming and numbers reached an all-time high in a matter of minutes.
According to Deadline, the highly anticipated J.J. Abrams-directed flick has already broken a record, setting a new mark for first-hour ticket sales. The title was previously held by another one of Disney‘s mammoth franchises: Marvel.
Along with Lucasfilm, Disney reportedly beat its own record for Avengers: Endgame (2019) by 45 per cent with the upcoming Star Wars instalment.
Endgame is currently the highest-grossing film in movie history. In its opening weekend, the Marvel spectacle pulled in a record-smashing US$357.1 million in America. Globally, it has earned more than $2.79 billion, smashing a previous record set by James Cameron’s Avatar.
The Rise of Skywalker is expected to either match or break the Avengers’ record in terms of global box office numbers.
READ MORE: ‘Star Wars — The Rise of Skywalker’ trailer promises epic finale
It will serve as the ninth and final story in the long-running Skywalker Saga, which began with George Lucas‘s original 1977 Star Wars film.
Tickets went on sale 15 minutes before Monday Night Football debuted the film’s final trailer during its Oct. 21 halftime show. The release coincided with the late Carrie Fisher‘s birthday, too.
Fisher will return to the screen one last time for The Rise of Skywalker as the iconic General Leia Organa (former Princess).
Whether they were successful or not in grabbing tickets, diehard Star Wars fans took to Twitter to share their excitement about the series finale.
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“The Force is certainly strong with Star Wars fans across the country,” Cineplex executive director Sarah Van Lange told Global News when asked about the boom in ticket sales. “Movie-lovers have been on our website and app in droves since tickets went up for sale.
“We already have sold out screenings across Canada, particularly in our enhanced viewing auditoriums including UltraAVX, IMAX, VIP Cinemas and 4DX.”
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Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker will be released in cinemas across Canada on Friday, Dec. 20.
You can watch the final trailer in the video above.