Somewhere Disney executives are breathing a sigh of relief as news indicates that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is off to a good start at the box office. The film started playing at cinemas across the country last night at 7 p.m. and managed to bring in approximately $29 million before morning. That performance marks the top Thursday preview total of the year, topping Batman v. Superman and Disney’s own Captain American: Civil War.
It should be noted that, this time last year, The Force Awakens took in nearly double that of what Rogue One did, making $57 on Thursday on its way to a $119 opening day and record-shattering $247 million weekend. While Rogue won’t get nearly that high, it was never really expected to. Currently the spin-off is on track for a $135 million to $150 million weekend, which would likely make it the third biggest debut of the year.