lifestyle SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2015 Features ‘Force Awakens’ on track for record $215M-plus weekend tar Wars” fever has spread through movie theaters Fan-friendly return lion on Thursday. Imax and 3-D screenings are helping to propel the record around the globe, even reaching the White House, The international rollout for the film, made for about $200 While “Star Wars” helped create the summer blockbuster, gross. Disney said that 47 percent of the Thursday box office “Sas the franchise yet again began toppling box-office million, has already brought in an estimated total of $72.7 mil- “The Force Awakens” is debuting in the holiday season of came from 3-D showings and $5.7 million from Imax screens. records with waves of lightsaber-wielding fans. lion since opening in a handful of countries Wednesday. “The December, where the previous top opening was the $84.6 mil- A lot is riding on the film for Disney, which paid $4.06 billion Following a record $57 million from Thursday night show- Force Awakens” is simultaneously opening around the world lion debut of 2012’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” By for Lucasfilm in 2012. Sequels and spinoffs are already in ings in North America, and packed matinees on Friday, the just about everywhere but China, where it debuts in January. Disney’s estimates, “The Force Awakens” - the widest development for years to come, not to mention an entire cor- Walt Disney Co. projected that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” It’s setting records overseas, too, including the biggest single December opening ever with 4,134 theaters - blew past that ner of Disneyland devoted to the franchise. will surpass $215 million on the weekend, besting the record day ever in the United Kingdom with an estimated $14.4 mil- number by Friday afternoon. Strong reviews for the film, which is set 30 years after domestic opening of “Jurassic World,” which debuted with “Return of the Jedi,” have added to the fervor for “The Force $208.8 million in June. Awakens.” Critics have hailed it as a fan-friendly return to form Such an outcome would surprise few analysts, but the for the franchise; the American Film Institute listed it among its numbers were nevertheless eye-popping. “The Force top 10 films of the year. Such a positive reaction for “The Force Awakens” was heading toward a Thursday night-Friday total of Awakens” may attract the kind of repeat viewings that made more than $120 million domestically, said Dave Hollis, head of James Cameron’s “Avatar” and “Titanic” the highest grossing distribution for Disney. The previous one-day high was $91.1 films of all time. Whether “The Force Awakens” can come close million set by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” in to the global hauls of those films ($2.8 billion for “Avatar” and 2011. $2.2 billion for “Titanic”) won’t be clear for weeks. — AP In such rarified territory, Disney has been cautious about overestimating the box-office force of J.J. Abrams’ seventh chapter in George Lucas’ space saga. Based on the early response, many analysts have the film pegged for a weekend total closer to $250 million - far above “Jurassic World.” Disney’s biggest worry has been that moviegoers will be too daunted by sold-out shows and long lines. More than This photo provided by $100 million advance tickets (also a record) were sold ahead of Lucasfilm shows Peter the opening of “The Force Awakens,” much of those going Mayhew as Chewbacca and toward Thursday and Friday shows. Today will depend more Harrison Ford as Han Solo on traditional walk-up business. Hollis said exhibitors are con- in ‘Star Wars: The Force tinually adding more screenings to satisfy demand. Awakens’. ‘Witcher 3,’ ‘Fallout 4’ lead AP’s top 10 games of 2015 ssociated Press video game critics Lou Kesten and ing to Bethesda Softworks stylish version of a nuclear-rav- Derrik J. Lang’s favorite titles of the year featured mon- aged Boston and the staggering array of choices it pre- Aster hunters, treasure hunters, guardian spirits and sented, but I couldn’t stay away from carving out my own murder suspects: destiny in this special role-playing saga. 2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: From the bonus swag in the LOU KESTEN box to the gratis downloadable content, the third install- 1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: This role-playing drama from ment in CD Projekt Red’s sweeping role-playing series is as Poland’s CD Projekt Red set a new standard for weirdness much of a love letter to fans of monster hunter Geralt of when it sent his hero in pursuit of a flying ghost fetus. For Rivia as it is to the fantasy genre as a whole. This majestic all its baroque touches, Witcher 3 boils down to a domes- entry should be remembered for years to come. tic drama about a jaded warrior and his impetuous adopt- ed daughter - and it’s quite moving. 3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: After a stunning 28 years of crafting Metal Gear games, Hideo Kojima’s 2. Fallout 4: The latest epic from Bethesda Softworks crams open-world coda brought the walls surrounding protago- in a bunch of genres - role-playing, first-person shooter, nist Snake down for the first time. In a year overstuffed even a civilization-building simulation - and veers from with open-world titles, Phantom Pain was the most tech- hilarious black comedy to heartbreaking tragedy. It’s most nically flawless of them all. Bait Hanayen memorable for its haunting vision of humanity somehow Seventh surviving after nearly destroying itself. 4. Her Story: Sam Barlow’s voyeuristic mystery is a rarity. The game features a provocative performance by actress Viva 3. Super Mario Maker: Nintendo gives its fans all the tools Seifert and gameplay that almost anyone can engage they need to build two-dimensional challenges starring with because it involves simply searching for words on a branch opens at Promenade Mario and his crew. Somewhere out there, kids are learn- screen. If more developers created games like Her Story, ing the ropes on their way to designing the games we’ll the medium would be taken more seriously. be talking about 20 years from now. 5. Rise of the Tomb Raider: Lara Croft is on a roll. After a mall in Hawally 4. Ori and the Blind Forest: This melancholy yet action- much-need reboot of the treasure hunting franchise, packed adventure follows an orphaned spirit creature as it developer Crystal Dynamics keenly avoids a sophomore tries to restore life to a devastated woodland. It’s the year’s slump with a snowy, survival-focused second installment most beautiful game - and one of its most challenging. that meticulously builds on what made 2013’s Tomb Raider an adventure worthy of the iconic heroine. 5. Her Story: Viva Seifert plays a young wife with a missing husband in this time-hopping mystery that takes place 6. Ori and the Blind Forest: This luminescent platformer did entirely within a police interrogation room. I’m not sure something that no Super Mario Bros. has ever accom- it’s even a game, but creator Sam Barlow’s clever plotting plished. It made me tear up - and that’s not just because and Seifert’s nimble performance combine to deliver a it’s so darn difficult. Moon Studios managed to artfully knockout tale. balance intricate riddle solving with an emotional tale about loss and discovery. 6. Rise of the Tomb Raider: Chapter two of the franchise reboot finds young Lara Croft searching for the secret to 7. Sunset: While most games tell war stories from behind immortality. It’s at its best when the Tomb Raider is, you the barrel of a gun, Sunset dared to do so on the other know, raiding tombs, with clever environmental puzzles side of a mop handle. Yes, it sounds boring to play as a that work your brain cells harder than your reflexes. housekeeper tasked with cleaning - and snooping around - her boss’ penthouse. Belgium developer Tale of Tales 7. Pillars of Eternity: A character cursed with mysterious made it a strangely evocative interactive experience. visions tries to find out why babies are being born without souls in this indie role-playing game from Obsidian 8. Splatoon: With an overreliance on a certain bouncy Entertainment. Fans of old-school classics like Baldur’s plumber, Nintendo has long been guilty of playing it safe. Gate and Planescape: Torment will feel right at home. That totally changed this year with the introduction of the loveable paint-wielding squid kids. A splashy aesthetic 8. Undertale: This lo-fi project from Toby Fox turns game con- and adrenaline-pumping action helped Splatoon success- ventions upside-down. A human child is trapped under- fully roll over all other multiplayer shooters. ground - but instead of killing all the monsters he encoun- ters, he can negotiate with most of them. It’s a thought- 9. Batman: Arkham Knight: Rocksteady Studios’ apparent provoking approach, and one I hope more big game pub- swan song in their incredible Arkham series finally lishers will notice. unleashed the Dark Knight across all of Gotham - com- plete with the Batmobile at his disposal - without sacrific- 9. Rock Band 4: The ultimate party game returns, inviting you ing the cerebral storytelling or majestic fluidity of its well- to jam anew with all those fake instruments that have oiled predecessors. Ben Affleck should take note. been gathering dust over the last five years. The ability to he seventh Bait Hanayen branch opened in the download songs you purchased for earlier versions is a 10.