"Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" has taken the box office by storm with an incredible $40 million from Thursday previews, which is the fifth largest preview gross ever. However, the film has grossed $5 million less than the "The Last Jedi" previews, while "The Force Awakens" raked in $57 million from Thursday previews. The studio is expecting a $160+ million debut from 4,406 theaters for their Skywalker saga capper, which is well below the previous two films' $200+ million opening weekends.
Meanwhile, Universal's "Cats", which has been skewered by critics, brought in a modest $550,000 from previews, and the musical is expected to gross around $15 million from 3,380 theaters over its opening weekend.
The biopic "Bombshell" has expanded nationwide this weekend and will probably end up with around $7 million from 1,480 theaters.
Synopses, details, critical/audience reception, trailers, and more after the jump.