Moviefone Editorial

Category: Box Office

  • ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Shatters Box Office Records Over Holiday Weekend


    “Fifty Shades of Grey” was already on track for a huge box office haul, but the S&M-tinged book adaptation exceeded prognosticators’ wildest expectations, breaking several records along the way.

    After the four-day holiday weekend, “Fifty Shades” is estimated to have pulled in $94.4 million domestically, a whopping total that far outpaces the previous four-day holiday weekend champ, “Valentine’s Day,” which nabbed $63.1 million back in 2010. And its $85 million three-day haul (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) beat out Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic “The Passion of the Christ” ($83.3 million) as the biggest February opening ever.

    Those receipts also gave “Fifty Shades” the third-highest-grossing opening weekend ever for an R-rated movie. And overseas, the numbers were equally impressive: The flick nabbed $158 million in 58 countries over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, making it the highest R-rated debut ever in foreign markets. “Fifty Shades” also grossed an estimated $14 million overseas on Monday, bumping up its international total to $172 million.

    “This was unchartered territory,” said Universal domestic distribution chief Nicholas Carpou in a statement. “We created a perfect storm for Valentine’s Day weekend, and made a movie that was accessible to the widest audience. And the marketing campaign really empowered people to see the film.”

    “Fifty Shades of Grey,” directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and based on the series by E.L. James, stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

    Photo credit: Universal

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  • ‘Mockingjay’ Tops ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ as 2014’s Highest-Grossing Film


    Katniss Everdeen has outdone Peter Quill: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” has officially surpassed “Guardians of the Galaxy” as 2014’s highest-grossing film.

    The tallies are almost identical, but “Mockingjay” has come away with the slight upper hand, raking in $333.18 million at the domestic box office since its November 21 bow. That’s only incrementally better than “Guardians,” which has so far made $333.17 million in North America, but good enough for the win.

    Deadline reports that this is nothing new for Katniss and co., who also bested Marvel in 2013, when “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” initially lost out to “Iron Man 3” in the box office war, before claiming victory in January. And it marks the second year in a row that a female-led flick has taken the box office crown, a big coup in diversity-challenged Hollywood.

    There will be another showdown between the two companies next year, too, since Marvel has “Avengers: Age of Ultron” due out on May 1, and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” is coming on November 20. Whichever one reigns supreme, it looks like we’re in for another year of big blockbusters.

    [via: Deadline]

    Photo credit: Lionsgate

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