Spider-Man swung into theaters in a big way, rescuing audiences from what seemed like a never-ending flow of really crappy movies that demonstrated just how low Hollywood could go. Is Spider-Man 3 the best or the worst of the trilogy? That debate rages on, but there's no doubt which one made the most money. Spider-Man, the first film in the series, had held the record for biggest weekend for over 4 years before Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest rocked the boat and stole the title last summer. This weekend Spidey was back with a vengeance.
Spider-Man 3 opened in a record 4,252 theaters on over 10,000 screens. When you add in full houses of audiences desperate for something worth their $10 dollar ticket, you get a record breaking estimated first day sales of $59.3 million, an easy win over last summer's POTC: Dead Man's Chest which took in $55.8 million its first day. The web slinger went on to draw down another record for biggest opening weekend with a box office smashing total of $148 million, easily topping Dead Man's Chest which bowed in at $135 million.
Was Spidey's big opening the result of begin first in line at the summer cash trough, or is it simply a premonition of a big box office summer? The third installments of the Shrek films is yet to come and the third Pirates of the Caribbean entry is also still on the way. Both franchises have been noted for making big bucks, but can they compete with this kind of success? You bet. If Spider-man holds on to his new found record it will be by a close shave. Look for other 3's to come close or beat the web head.
The other new movie this weekend, Lucky You was anything but lucky. With only $2.5 million it could only manage meager 6th place and was the lowest per-theater earner in the top ten. Check out the full top ten chart below.
Next weekend should be relatively quiet to this weekend's smash-fest. Horror/thriller fans will get to see if 28 Weeks Later is a worthy sequel to the popular 28 Days Later. Larry The Cable Guy "graces" the screen yet again in the slap-shtick Delta Farce. The controversial Lindsay Lohan once again walks in the presence of acting giants like Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda in the drama Georgia Rule. Last, but not least is Zach Braff's latest comedy The Ex which opens in limited release. Look for 28 Weeks Later to top all the other new comers, but still fall short of beating a second weekend serving of Spider-man. Expect the web slinger to stay on top until Shrek has his thirds on May 18th.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN May 4 - 6, 2007
LW = Last Week WR = Weeks Released THTRS = Number of Screens * Denotes new release. Click on title to read CB Review
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