The ''Revenge'' of the box office has begun?

So long, box office slump. Yoda has come to save the day. After months of hype, Star Wars: Episode III?Revenge of the Sith has finally reached multiplexes, and the resulting numbers will be staggering.

Since the final Star Wars installment began playing at 12:01 am on Thursday, most showings have been selling out at amazing rates. Add to that the mostly strong reviews for the film, and fan excitement is almost immeasurable. The last Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones, grossed $30.2 million on its first day before earning another $80 million over its Friday-to-Sunday opening, for a four-day total of $110.2 million. But the stars should align for Sith to blow those numbers away. Expect a $40 million opening day, combined with a $90 million weekend, for a total of $130 million.

So do you think Star Wars will be No. 1? Well, you’re right. The closest anyone will come will be about $75 million behind, as Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda’s comedy Monster-in-Law should slip 40 percent in its second weekend to $14 million, followed by Will Ferrell’s Kicking & Screaming, which will also slide 40 percent to $12 million. Meanwhile, the action dramas Unleashed and Kingdom of Heaven should each gross another $5 million this weekend. The competition’s biggest hope? That all those Star Wars showings will be sold out.