'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Opens to $176 Million in the U.S. Box Office

The financial Force wasn’t as strong with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker over the weekend.

Amid mixed reviews of the ninth episode in Disney‘s space-epic series, the film raked in $176 million over its opening weekend domestically and about $198 million overseas, putting it at a total of $374 million, according to multiple outlets including Forbes.

While the amount made The Rise of Skywalker the highest-earning film over the weekend (beating Cats by a considerable margin, with the Broadway musical adaptation making just $6.5 million domestically), it fell behind its predecessors in the current Star Wars trilogy. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi made $248 million and $220 million over their respective opening weekends.

Forbes reports that despite the lower opening, The Rise of Skywalker still holds the title for the third-highest-earning December opening weekend in domestic box office history, right behind The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

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The final episode in the highly anticipated trilogy sees Jedi-in-training Rey team up once again with ex-stormtrooper Finn, pilot Poe Dameron, Wookiee Chewbacca and their droid sidekicks in a quest to stop an evil force that has unexpectedly risen again — and along the way, Rey seeks to find the truth about her family once and for all.

The Rise of Skywalker opened to fans being divided over the storyline, with many feeling like it was an epic conclusion for the characters, new and old, while others argued that it felt forced, rushed and disjointed.

PEOPLE’s own review of Episode IX (which currently holds a 57 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.0 out of 10 on IMDb) calls the film a “jam-packed tribute to George Lucas‘ legacy and the millions of dedicated fans who’ve kept the franchise alive and well for decades.”

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Disney’s president of global distribution, Cathleen Taff, told Variety that the company is “excited to see audiences showing up” for The Rise of Skywalker, referring to its opening numbers as “a great start for the kind of film you want to see in theaters.”

“The great thing about Star Wars is it’s so beloved and people are so passionate about it,” she added. “[Director] J.J. Abrams and [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy did a beautiful job in honoring that legacy.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now.