'Star Wars' latest in genre to exceed expectations

[Variety]

More than a decade after bowing in theaters, Fox’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” originally released in 1999, scored a better-than-expected domestic debut of $22.5 million for its 3D retrofit.

The most optimistic bizzers projected “The Phantom Menace” to hit upward of $20 million, while more conservative B.O. observers put the pic in the mid-teen range.

…

Beyond the retrofit realm, Warner Bros.-New Line’s family-targeted “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” sold plenty of 3D ducats, collecting a higher-than-usual 76% from the format (it accounted for 79% of the pic’s total location count).

See the full story here: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118050473