1917 beats Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at the box office

Sam Mendes and the cast of "1917."
(Image credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal Media, LLC via Getty Images)

The World War I drama 1917 dethroned Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at the box office, earning $36.5 million during its first weekend of wide release.

Directed by Sam Mendes, 1917 opened in limited release on Christmas; it received a major publicity boost last weekend, when the movie won the Best Motion Picture — Drama award at the Golden Globes. Mendes also picked up the Best Director statue. The film tells the story of two young British soldiers who are racing to save hundreds of their fellow troops.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.