The hype surrounding The Force Awakens guaranteed a huge opening weekend, but nobody expected a $120.5 million opening day. That’s right, the new Star Wars shattered Harry Potter’s record of $91 million for The Deathly Hallows Part 2 by a galactic mile.

Disney did a bang up job with the marketing for the new movie, we got a few trailers and some posters, but the core of the plot remained unknown. Despite a few bad apples spoiling the surprises via social media and the poor chap in the US blurted out a spoiler who received a group beating, most fans have been respectful. You can look forward to a spillers free review of the movie next week, and a more detailed spoiler riddled essay in the new year.

Record breaking figures aside, the true test of power will be how Star Wars performs in the coming weeks as blockbusters of this size have a particularly high drop off. That being the case, Star Wars has loyal fans and repeat viewing will be a must for the vast majority of audience members. Just like Jurassic World appealed to multiple generations, Star Wars is a franchise dear to millions of fans’ hearts and even the prequels didn’t damper their spirits. While we will have to wait and see how Sunday goes, an opening weekend in the $240 million ballpark seems like a conservative bet. The global box office is telling a similar story with The Force Awakens toppling the charts in every territory.

The good news here is that James Cameron’s Avatar has some serious competition on its hands for the biggest movie of all time bragging rights.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in cinemas now.