The sequel came in a mere 11 percent behind ' Star Wars: The Force Awakens ' in North America. Disney and Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Last Jedi delivered an early Christmas present for Hollywood and theater owners over the weekend with a near-record $220 million debut in North America, the second-best showing of all time behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Final numbers released Monday matched Sunday's estimate of $220 million. The Last Jedi opened a mere 11 percent behind The Force Awakens ' record-shattering domestic launch of $247.9 million on the same weekend in 2015, a rare feat in the age of sequelitis. Revenue for the weekend spiked more than 30 percent over the same weekend last year, helping to narrow the yearly gap from 4 percent to 3 percent. Internationally, director Rian Johnson's tentpole took in $230.8 million from 54 markets for a worldwide launch of $450.8 million. The Last Jedi came in 18 percent behind Force Awakens overseas, where