Universal Pictures’ adaptation of E L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey has dominated the worldwide box office since its rollout started on February 11 and has amassed an impressive $240 million so far! The Sam Taylor-Johnson-directed film, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, earned $81.7 million from 3,646 domestic theaters over the three-day portion of the four-day Presidents’ Day weekend (averaging $22,400 per theater) and has already reached $158 million internationally in 58 markets, the biggest international opening ever for an R-rated movie, beating previous record holder The Matrix Revolutions‘ $117 million. Fifty Shades of Grey is also playing in 85 IMAX screens, which are expected to deliver $2.1 million for the long weekend.
Made for just $40 million, the film marks the biggest international opening of 2015 so far and makes it Universal’s second-biggest international opening ever, trailing just Fast & Furious 6‘s $160.3 million from 2013. Other records the film now holds are: biggest Presidents’ Day weekend opener (previous record holder was Valentine’s Day with $56.3 million); second-biggest February opening ever (the record holder remains The Passion of The Christ with $83.9 million); and fourth-biggest domestic R-rated opening (trailing The Matrix Reloaded‘s $91.8 million, The Hangover Part II‘s $85.9 million, and The Passion of The Christ‘s $83.9 million).
Opening in second place was 20th Century Fox’s Kingsman: The Secret Service with a strong $35.6 million from 3,204 theaters, an average of $11,111 per theater. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the film stars Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella and Michael Caine and is loosely based on the comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Internationally, the action movie has reached $43.8 million for a worldwide total of $79.4 million. The adaptation cost about $81 million to make.
Coming in at No. 3 at the domestic box office was Paramount’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which dropped just 44.8% its second weekend and added $30.5 million for a domestic total of $93.7 million so far. Internationally, the $74-million movie has brought in $46.3 million. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie earned $140.2 million at the worldwide box office in 2004, while “Sponge Out of Water” has already reached $140 million in just two weeks.
Dropping two spots to fourth place was the Clint Eastwood-directed American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. The film earned yet another $16.4 million its eighth weekend in theaters and has now grossed $304.1 million domestically. The Warner Bros. Pictures release is the third-biggest at the domestic box office, trailing only The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1‘s $336.2 million and Guardians of the Galaxy‘s $333.2 million. Internationally, the $60-million drama has brought in $85.7 million for a wolrdwide total of $389.8 million.
Rounding out the top five domestically was the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending, starring Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, with $9.4 million. The sci-fi action adventure has earned $32.6 million. The Warner Bros. release has grossed $58.9 million internationally for a global take of $91.5 million, far below its reported budget of $176 million.
