New "Star Wars" film exceeds $1 billion mark in global box office

Disney's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", the latest installment of the blockbuster science fiction franchise, on Sunday hit the $1 billion mark in global box office at record pace.

The blockbuster installment, the seventh of the kind, posted the biggest second-weekend box office total ever recorded in North America by raking in more than $153 million in the US and Canada, Xinhua quoted the box office figures gathered by Rentrak.

The latest installment of the "Star Wars" franchise took over the previous second weekend record of $106.6 million set by "Jurassic World" earlier this year by $46.9 million. 

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has grossed $544 million in North America since it was released in North America ten days ago.

Of this weekend's overall gross for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," IMAX grosses made up an estimated $19 million. Total IMAX grosses of the new blockbuster film have exceeded $70 million in North America.