That's a record for a Memorial Day release, but notably behind the $29 million preview gross for fellow standalone film 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' in December 2016.


The Force is being tested in a serious way.


Disney and Lucasfilms' Solo: A Star Wars Story earned $14.1 million in Thursday evening previews, a record for a Memorial Day weekend release, but well behind fellow standalone movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which took in $29 million in previews in mid-December of 2016 on its way to a $155 million domestic debut.


Based on the preview number and early Friday returns, the Han Solo origin story isn't likely to match Rogue One's first weekend in North America. Solo is the first of the four titles in the revitalized Star Wars franchise to brave the summer box office. It also opens a mere five months after Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi hit theaters, raising the possibility of fatigue.


Tracking suggests Solo, directed by Ron Howard, will debut to $130 million-$150 million over the long Memorial Day weekend. Tracking, of course, isn't a science, and many films come in ahead of prerelease projections. Nor are preview grosses necessarily a barometer of how big a movie will open. Last weekend, Deadpool 2 roared to $18.6 million in previews for a projected $135 million start, but ended up at $125 million after being frontloaded.


Solo is launching in most points around the globe timed to its U.S. launch, including China, for a projected worldwide start of $300 million-plus. The film staged its world premiere in Los Angeles earlier this month, followed by a stop at the Cannes Film Festival. Solo began to roll out midweek in select international markets, earning $11.4 million on Wednesday and Thursday.


Rogue One is the best comp for Solo among the three new Star Wars films released by Disney and Lucasfilm. Even if it doesn't match that film, Solo has a shot at passing up 2007's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($139.8 million) to score the top Memorial Day launch of all time in North America, not adjusted for inflation.


Star Wars: Episode VII — Force Awakens, which revived the franchise after a long absence from the big screen and featured original stars from the first films, debuted to a then-record $248 million in December 2015, followed by $220 million for Last Jedi, a follow-up to Force Awakens.


Solo stars Alden Ehrenreich in the titular role opposite Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo and Paul Bettany. The story follows Han Solo as he teams with a band of misfits and mercenaries — including Lando Calrissian as well as a young Chewbacca — to stop the villainous Dryden Vos.


Howard famously took over directing duties when Lucasfilm fired Christopher MIller and Phil Lord departed over creative differences.


No other film dared to open nationwide opposite Solo. The movie's chief competition will be Fox's Deadpool 2, which opened last weekend to $125 million domestically — including $18.6 million in previews — and $301 million globally. The critically acclaimed sequel has done strong midweek business, and hopes to clear $55 million-$60 million in its sophomore outing in North America.