The much-anticipated 20th Anniversary rerelease of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith has made waves at the box office, securing a staggering $3.4 million during Thursday previews ahead of its limited one-week engagement.
This impressive figure placed it ahead of Ben Affleck’s new action-thriller, The Accountant 2, which earned $2.5 million in previews that included special screenings held on tax day, April 15.
Despite the early successes of Revenge of the Sith, early indications suggest that The Accountant 2 is gaining momentum and is expected to finish second with an opening weekend of between $23 million and $25 million, according to studio insiders with access to earnings data.
Revenge of the Sith, meanwhile, is projected to earn between $20 million and $23 million, potentially becoming one of the highest-opening rereleases in cinema history. Disney remains cautious, suggesting a conservative estimate of $20 million-plus.
The record for the highest-grossing rerelease belongs to the original 1977 Star Wars film, which amassed $35.9 million in 1997. Originally released during its glittering debut, the film has seen a resurgence of appreciation in recent years, particularly among fans who grew up with the prequels.
Star Hayden Christensen recently received a raucous reception at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, reflecting the renewed interest in his character alongside Ewan McGregor’s portrayal.
It’s worth noting that recent rereleases in the Star Wars franchise have not eclipsed the numbers seen by Revenge of the Sith; for instance, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace opened to $8.7 million in May 2024, while Star Wars: Return of the Jedi grossed $5.1 million last April without any preview screenings.
A pivotal aspect of the upcoming weekend is how frontloaded the earnings for Sith will be.
The rerelease coincides with the celebratory phenomenon surrounding the 20th anniversary of George Lucas’ final prequel film, which has gained a larger following over time despite its initial divisiveness among audiences.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ Sinners is positioned as a strong contender for the box office crown, projected to compete with The Accountant 2 for the top spot.
Heading into the weekend, Sinners is expected to earn between $20 million and $25 million, with the potential for a remarkable $40 million in its second weekend, a minor 17 percent drop from its debut.
On Thursday, Sinners secured $6.1 million in ticket sales, contributing to a robust domestic total of $77.5 million in its first week.
The period supernatural vampire film starring Michael B. Jordan opened to an impressive $48 million over the Easter weekend, outperforming the concurrent release of Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie, which had previously held the box office lead.
In previous box office standings, The Accountant opened to $24.7 million back in 2016, eventually grossing $155.5 million globally and becoming a favorite digital rental.
In this sequel, directed by Gavin O’Connor, Affleck returns as the titular character, who finds himself drawn into a murder investigation alongside his estranged brother and a U.S. Treasury agent.
As they probe the depths of a deadly conspiracy, they quickly become targets of a malevolent group intent on silencing them.
Affleck has joined forces with Matt Damon’s Artists Equity to produce the sequel alongside Lynette Howell Taylor for 51 Entertainment and Mark Williams for Zero Gravity Management.
Accountant 2 currently boasts a healthy 76 percent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, eclipsed by a 93 percent audience score, illustrating a strong reception from viewers compared to the original film.
Both Accountant 2 and Sinners are rated R and are set to attract male audiences, though Sith has the edge appealing to family demographics as well.
Concurrently, A Minecraft Movie has maintained its position in fourth place, nearing the impressive $400 million mark in domestic earnings.
In the horror genre, Screen Gems and Sony’s Until Dawn kicked off with $1 million in Thursday previews and is projected to have an underwhelming weekend debut around $7 million, also rated R.
As the weekend unfolds, box office projections for all three films might shift by Saturday morning.
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