'FORCE AWAKENS' BECOMES BIGGEST UK CINEMA RELEASE OF ALL TIME!

'STARS WARS' BECOMES #1 FILM OF ALL TIME IN UK & IRELAND!

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THE FORCE IS CERTAINLY WITH ABRAMS' SCI-FI SEQUEL AS IT PASSES

LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT ON THE SAME DAY AS NABBING 4 BAFTA NOMS

NEWS | Kyle Pedley

J.J. Abrams' return to a Galaxy Far, Far Away continued to prove itself more powerful than a Death Star (and certainly more reliable!) as it overtook 2012's Skyfall to become the UK and Ireland's biggest ever cinema release on the same day as securing four prestigious BAFTA award nominations.

Director Abrams, Producer (and Lucasfilm President) Kathleen Kennedy and Co. will likely be 'Yub Nubbing' the night away in celebration this evening, as Walt Disney Studios, UK announce that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has become the UK and Ireland's biggest ever cinematic release.

The film, which has only been on release for 22 days, has today overtaken Skyfall's £103.2 million in the UK and earlier this week became only the second in history to reach £100 million in the UK. And Han Solo can boast something even more impressive than his 12 Parsec Kessel Run - the film managed to reach this landmark in just 20 days of business compared to the 66 days Skyfall took to reach the same amount!

And if that were not enough, The Force is also awakening within the award season as the British Academy announced today that the film has been nominated for four BAFTA awards - Original Music for John William's soaring score, Production Design, Sound and Special Visual Effects.

It's the latest in a long run of records for the critically acclaimed sequel since its release on December 17th. It has so far scooped up the biggest ever UK opening weekend, the biggest ever opening worldwide, widest release of a title in the UK, highest advance bookings of all time, the first film to reach £50 million within a week, and the biggest ever single day at the box office with £9.7 million in its tractor beam of seemingly unstoppable success.

With it's Box Office still going strong, cinemagoers can book tickets on the Force Awakens official page over at www.theforceawakens.co.uk, and tune in to the BAFTA's on Sunday 14th February 2016 to see if it manages to add a few golden masks to its hoard of plaudits.

The force is stro- oh, come on, we don't need to say it, surely?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in cinemas now.

Book your tickets at www.theforceawakens.co.uk or directly through your nearest cinema branch.

Read our full, 5-star review of the film by clicking HERE.

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