Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Now the Highest-Grossing Domestic Film Ever

Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke a new record Wednesday. The seventh installment in the space saga became the highest-grossing film in North America, shooting past Avatar’s $760.5 million lifetime domestic haul in just 20 days.

Since its Dec. 18 debut in the U.S. and Canada, the movie crushed a series of records, according to a Disney press release. It was the fastest film to reach $100 million, doing so in 21 hours. It also pulled in the biggest opening week at $391 million.

Rare Photos of George Lucas Behind the Scenes of Star Wars

George Lucas and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) on the set of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in a galaxy far, far away.

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Lucas gives direction to Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) in Episode IV.

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Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) sit around Lucas on the set of The Empire Strikes Back.

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Lucas with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), along with Hamill and Ford on the set of Episode IV.

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Lucas directs Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) and Carrie Fisher.

Lucasfilm

Harrison Ford and Lucas share a moment in Endor on the set of Return of the Jedi.

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Lucas on set filming the opening scene of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

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Lucas reviews concept art for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

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Lucas inspects a model pod racer for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

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Lucas makes sure that the Death Star is fully armed and operational for Return of the Jedi.

Lucasfilm

Lucas holds up Jango Fett's helmet.

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Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala) and Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) listen to Lucas' directions on the set of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

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Lucas directs a lightsaber battle between Ian McDiarmid (Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious) and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) on the set of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

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Lucas sets up camp next to a Bantha on the set of Episode IV.

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Lucas finds the droid he was looking for.

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But one title still eludes The Force Awakens: the highest-grossing film of all time. Its current $1.5 billion global haul is short of Avatar’s record-setting $2.8 billion, according to Variety. But those rankings might change after Jan. 9 when the new Star Wars film opens in China, the world’s second largest movie market.

And Disney has more in store for the franchise it bought from Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. The studio plans to release one movie a year for the next five years.

Write to Mark Rivett-Carnac at mark.rivett-carnac@timeasia.com.