LOS ANGELES – Moviegoers flocked to the dark side in droves, giving the final installment of George Lucas' "Star Wars (search)" tale a record-breaking midnight run.
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" raked in an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings Thursday, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations (search).
That's double what the Oscar-winning film "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" took in during its midnight showings in 2003. The third film from director Peter Jackson's trilogy rang up about $8 million domestically from 2,100 midnight shows.
"This is extremely impressive," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. "It just says so much about how excited people are to see this film that they lined up at midnight and just got on board and went along for the ride."
Tickets for "Revenge of the Sith" went on sale last month. Soon after, legions of fans began lining up at theaters across the country, many dressed in full "Star Wars" regalia and sporting Jedi light sabers.
The final chapter in Lucas' six-film saga chronicles Anakin Skywalker's (search) transformation from hero to villain Darth Vader. The film may be the darkest chapter in the "Star Wars" story, featuring more violence and a story line showing how a democratic government turns into a despotic regime.
"Revenge of the Sith" is the first "Star Wars" film to earn a PG-13 rating. The first five films were rated PG.
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