While a ticket sale date for the U.S. has yet to be announced, its thought that based on how quickly the tickets are selling in the U.K., where the film opens a day earlier than it does in the U.S., it’s thought the movie will place second for a December opening only to another Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens.
That film, the seventh in the official Star Wars canon, made just shy of $248 million last year, setting an all-time record.
Rogue One is a stand-alone story, taking place just before the events of 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The new film stars Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, a troublemaker recruited by the nascent Rebel Alliance to steal the plans to the Empire’s new Death Star.
The movie, which also stars Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, will be released by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.