Group of people dressed as Star Wars characters pose for photographers outside New York's Ziegfeld Theater

The final installment of the Star Wars movies has done what no other film in cinematic history has achieved, by selling $50 million worth of tickets in a single day.

On its first day of release Thursday, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith  grossed a little more than $50 million from showings at some 3600 theaters across the United States.

Revenge of the Sith beat the previous two "best day" box office records held by Shrek 2 ($44.8 million) in 2004 and Spider-Man ($43.6 million) in 2002.

The movie is on pace to gross more than $100 million during its opening weekend.