‘Rogue One’ Smashes First Night Sales Records for 2016 at U.S. Box Office

The new Star Wars spin-off scored the biggest Thursday preview of the year, when it opened in cinemas across America on Thursday night.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story raked in $29 million at the U.S. box office as fans raced to be among the first to see the new film.

The preview receipts topple those of fellow 2016 blockbusters Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War, which both made over $25 million on their debuts.

Rogue One, which features Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker and Diego Luna, is expected to haul in as much as $150 million at the U.S. box office this weekend – the second biggest December weekend behind last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.