\u201cStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker\u201d picked up momentum and logged the second-best Christmas Day ever at the domestic box office.
\nThe finale of the nine-movie Skywalker saga earned $32 million on Wednesday, according to Comscore. That\u2019s well behind the record-holder, 2015\u2019s \u201cStar Wars: The Force Awakens,\u201d which grossed $49.3 million on Christmas, but ahead of recent December-released \u201cStars Wars\u201d films \u201cThe Last Jedi\u201d ($27.4 million in 2017) and \u201cRogue One\u201d ($25.8 million in 2016).
\nAfter six days, \u201cThe Rise of Skywalker\u201d has earned about $259 million domestically, and $516 million internationally, putting it well on pace to become Walt Disney Co.\u2019s DIS, +0.20% seventh billion-dollar movie released this year.
\n\u201cThe Rise of Skywalker\u201d earned $175 million in its opening weekend \u2014 the third-best movie opening this year, but a disappointing total by \u201cStar Wars\u201d standards. It wasn\u2019t helped by the worst critical reviews for a \u201cStar Wars\u201d movie since \u201cThe Phantom Menace\u201d in 1999.
\nAnalysts last week said they weren\u2019t particularly concerned about a slower opening weekend, predicting ticket sales would be more spread out over the week, as schools closed for winter break.
\nOverall, movie-goers spent $80 million on Christmas Day, up over last year, but below the record $103.3 million in 2015. Sony\u2019s SNE, -0.24% Sony Pictures releases took the next two spots Wednesday: \u201cJumanji: The Next Level,\u201d with $12.5 million, and \u201cLittle Women,\u201d with $6.4 million.\n<\/div>\n
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