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

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.

This was the first weekend since its debut in December that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was not in the top spot at the box office; it earned $15 million, bringing its worldwide total to $990 million.

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