'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' rockets to record $50 million in Thursday previews

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" launched with an out-of-this-world $50 million in previews Thursday night, shattering the record set by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in 2011 and leaving little doubt that Disney's reboot of the iconic sci-fi tale will be on a box office run for the ages this weekend.

"The Force Awakens" topped the existing previews record by nearly $7 million. That puts it on course to become the first movie ever to make $100 million in a single day on Friday when it opens in 4,135 theaters. It's also on track to blow past the opening weekend record of $208 million set by "Jurassic World" in June.

See photos from opening night of "Star Wars:"

"Harry Potter" made $43.5 million Thursday night and with that added in, totaled $91 million on Friday, winding up at $169 million for the weekend. "Jurassic World" stomped to $18.5 million on Thursday night and $81.9 million Friday, $69.6 million on Saturday and $57.2 million on Sunday to set the record.

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"The Force Awakens" will be light years ahead of those marks on its current pace, and there's little doubt now that the space adventure directed by J.J. Abrams is going to be living up to its unprecedented advance sales, social media buzz and hype and the rich legacy of George Lucas' beloved franchise.

The seventh installment in the "Star Wars" series stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill andCarrie Fisher from the 1977 original and Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis and Domhnall Gleeson.

Lucasfilm and Bad Robot's "The Force Awakens" is set approximately 30 years after the events of 1983's "Return of the Jedi."

Read original story 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Rockets to Record $50 Million in Thursday Previews At TheWrap