By Patrick Luce Jun 2, 2008, 11:52 GMT
Showing the power of the “chick flick,” Warner Bros. and New Line’s big screen adaptation of the hit series Sex and the City took in an estimated $55.7 million in its opening weekend and took the No. 1 spot from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Variety reports the film’s opening is the best ever for an R-rated comedy and was an unexpected show for Hollywood – which still operates under the belief a “female” film can’t pack the seats like a male-driven action flick or a family film. The film’s strong opening has also already started talk of a sequel.
Sex and the City reunited the original HBO cast of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Chris Noth as “Mr. Big.” The film (which took four years to get to the screen) was directed by Michael Patrick King.
In Variety, Warner prexy of domestic distribution Dan Fellman stated: “This has become a cultural phenomenon. What this shows is that given the right project, you can create a frenzy for the female aud, just like we are used to with boys and men.”
In addition to taking the top spot for an R-rated comedy, Sex and the City was the fifth best opening of all time for any R-rated film. It was also the best opening for any live-action adaptation of a television series – taking the crown from Mission Impossible which brought in an estimated $45 million at its opening.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skill dropped 54% in its second week, and earned an estimated $46 million. It has earned $216.9 million domestically since its release.
Rogue Pictures and Universal’s new horror thriller The Strangers opened with an estimated $20.7 million from 2,467 runs. The strong opening exceeded the expectations for the film (which only cost $9 million to make) and secured a No. 3 spot.
Paramount’s Iron Man continued to show a strong box office presence – dropping only 32% in its fifth week. The film took the No. 4 spot and earned an estimated $14 million. It has made an estimated $276.6 million domestically since its release.
Disney and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian dropped to the No. 5 spot and declined an estimated 43%. The film earned an estimated $13 million over the weekend and has earned $115.7 million in its three weeks of release.
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