The final numbers of the four-day President’s Day weekend debut of Fifty Shades of Grey were revealed Tuesday, and the R-rated film reportedly brought in $93 million. The film only cost $40 million to produce.
The racy romance even broke a record. According to Fortune, the film topped The Passion of the Christ’s February box office record of $83.8 million. Although the film adaptation of E.L James’ erotic novel reportedly topped Mel Gibson’s story of Jesus, it did not exceed Universal’s top earnings for a weekend opening. Fast & Furious 6 made $97.4 million in 2013.
Other sources stated that the film did not live up to The Passion of the Christ sales. For instance, the New York Post reported that the romance earned $81.7 million at the box office Monday.
Yet, the box office on President’s Day weekend did make history. Together, Fifty Shades of Grey and Kingsman: The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn’s R-rated comic book adaptation, made $247 million in tickets sold, according to Rentrack Theatrical. The weekend grossed more than the 2010 record of $239.8 million, according to Fortune. Alone, Matthew Vaughn’s film made $41.8 million.
Globally, the bondage-filled Fifty Shades remained in line with its projected amounts and made more than $200 million. And the film has brought Universal much success. According to Variety, analysts are predicting that the film will produce more than $500 million globally due to its successful start.
Phil Contrino, chief analyst and vice president of BoxOffice.com, stated that “this kind of performance” is usually “reserved” for animation and superhero franchises. He added that now Fifty Shades of Grey has joined “that club.”
Other big movies at the box office over the weekend were Paramount’s The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Warner Brothers’ American Sniper, Warner Brothers’ Jupiter Ascending, The Weinstein Company’s Paddington and Universal’s Seventh Son. However, not one of these movies made more than $40 million at the box office.
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