U.K. Box Office: ‘Star Wars’ Opens With Highest Single-Day Gross

U.K. and Ireland fans have ensured record-breaking opening-day box-office revenue for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

“The film enjoyed not only the biggest opening day of all time, but also the biggest single day in U.K. industry history,” Disney said on Friday.

The movie brought in an estimated $14.3 million (£9.6 million) on its opening day in Britain, “setting a new U.K. and Ireland industry record,” the company said. Midnight screenings alone accounted for $3.6 million (£2.4 million), smashing all previous records.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 previously held the record for the biggest opening-day and biggest single-day box office in the U.K. with £9.5 million.

Said Disney : “Exhibitors continually added screens to accommodate demand, which resulted in a total of 2 million booked tickets ahead of the release — breaking another record for advanced ticket bookings.”

The company added: “There are still many available seats left in cinemas across the U.K. for fans who want to see the film during opening weekend.”

Star Wars: The Force Awakens began its global assault on Wednesday, grossing $14.1 million from its first 12 international markets and eclipsing all previous Star Wars entries.