Solo Star Wars Story set for LOWEST box office opening of Disney era – but still a hit

The movie, starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, is in cinemas worldwide now – after landing in the UK yesterday and the US today.

And although it was never expected to net anywhere near as much as ‘main saga’ entries The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, The Hollywood Reporter expects it to fall short of 2016’s Rogue One, too.

Rogue One was something of an unknown entity when it came out in 2016, being the first Star Wars ‘anthology tale’ of its kind.

But it became a huge hit; scoring positive reviews and a $155 million debut weekend – going on to cross over $1bn worldwide.

Now, Solo is the first film since Disney took over Star Wars ownership to face the summer box office – given that the previous three productions all made Christmas launches.

Forecasters expect it to land somewhere between $130 and $150 million.

Still, it could overtake 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End to grab the highest ever Memorial Day weekend opening. The number to beat on that front is $139.8 million.

For comparison, The Force Awakens opened to a then-record $248 million, with The Last Jedi bowing to $220 million.

In terms of its global launch, Solo is expected to hit around $300 million this weekend.

Its reviews have been decent if unspectacular, with Rotten Tomatoes currently listing a 69% score.

Alden Ehrenreich plays the title character, made famous by Harrison Ford in the original trilogy.

Ford is allegedly a fan, with director Ron Howard telling Variety that it has his seal of approval.

“I had never heard Harrison [being] effusive about anything, and he was raving about it,” Howard told Variety.

“He said, ‘Alden nailed it. He made it his own.'”

Solo: A Star Wars Story is out now.