Star Wars: Rogue One box office scores biggest Thursday opening of the year

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is on track to dominate the box office this weekend.

The film, starring Felicity Jones, earned $29 million from Thursday night previews ahead of its nationwide debut on Friday. That’s the largest Thursday opening of the year, ahead of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($27.7 million) and Captain America: Civil War ($25 million). The film can add that to the $33 million already earned from international ticket sales.

The numbers aren’t as impressive as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which started a new core saga on a Thursday night last year with $57 million.

Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla), tells the story of how the Rebel Alliance came into possession of the plans for the Death Star, thanks to the efforts of Jyn Erso and her rogue squadron. Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, and Alan Tudyk also star.

Disney already broke its yearly record even before Doctor Strange and Moana hit theaters, and now Rogue One is expected to surpass $150 million by the end of the weekend. The LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are already set to helm the second anthology film, about a young Han Solo.