HOLLYWOOD - Shrek 2 raked in the green at the box office and shattered all sorts of opening weekend records on its way to the top--running Far Far Away from competition. Dreamworks' animated sequel, which features the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, took in a monstrous $104.3 million across an unprecedented 4,163 screens. Its mega-wide release may be what helped Shrek 2 become the best animated opening of all time, ahead of Finding Nemo, which grossed $70.2 million when it premiered May 30, 2003.
But not even the newly crowned best animated opening could beat Sony Pictures' Spider-Man for best three-day opening ever. When Spider-Man hit big screens in May of 2002, it took in a still-unmatched Friday through Sunday take of $114 million.
The lovable ogre and his new bride, however, did steal the web-slinger's record for best single day grosses by a slim $1.2 million with Saturday's $44.8 million take.
Shrek 2's take is also the best five-day opening for a film opening on a Wednesday, just ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which grossed $124.1 million when it kicked off last December.
What's more, the animated tale becomes the biggest opening of 2004, pulling ahead of Newmarket Films' The Passion of the Christ, which debuted in February with $83.9 million.
The weekend before Memorial Day weekend last year also boasted big openings: Warner Bros.' R rated The Matrix Reloaded debuted with a massive $91.7 million in 3,603 theaters, averaging $25,472 per theater; Sony Pictures' PG rated comedy Daddy Day Care held onto second in its second week with $18.8 million at 3,408 theaters with a $5,540 per theater average; and 20th Century Fox's PG-13 rated actioner X2: X-Men United dropped to third its third week with $17.3 million at 3,490 theaters with a $4,957 per theater average.
Powered by Shrek 2, the Top 12 films this week grossed an estimated $158 million, up 54.43 percent from last week's $102.3 million and up 2.23 percent versus last year's pre-Memorial Weekend of $154.6 million.
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES (Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: Shrek 2 (Dreamworks, PG)
• Gross: $104.3 million
• Weeks opened: NEW! (Opened Wed., May 19)
• Theaters: 4,163
• Per-theater average: $25,054
• Cume to date: $125.3 million
No. 2: Troy (Warner Bros., R)
• Gross: $23.8 million (-49%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 3,411 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $6,977
• Cume to date: $85.8 million
No. 3: Van Helsing (Universal, PG-13)
• Gross: $10.1 million (-51%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 3,418 (-162)
• Per-theater average: $2,955
• Cume to date: $100.1 million
No. 4: Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures, PG-13)
• Gross: $6.9 million (-32%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 3,054 (-39)
• Per-theater average: $2,259
• Cume to date: $64.6 million
No. 5: Man on Fire (20th Century Fox, R)
• Gross: $3.5 million (-31%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,104 (-546)
• Per-theater average: $1,663
• Cume to date: $69.2 million
No.6: Breakin' All the Rules (Sony Pictures, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.8 million (-45%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 1,318
• Per-theater average: $2,124
• Cume to date: $9 million
No. 7: 13 Going on 30 (Sony Pictures, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.5 million (-39%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,028 (-628)
• Per-theater average: $1,233
• Cume to date: $52 million
No. 8: New York Minute (Warner Bros., PG)
• Gross: $1.85 million (-69%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 2,360 (-646)
• Per-theater average: $502
• Cume to date: $12.5 million
No. 9: Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Miramax, R)
• Gross: $1 million (-34%)
• Weeks opened: 6
• Theaters: 854 (-547)
• Per-theater average: $1,255
• Cume to date: $62.7 million
No. 10: Super Size Me (IDP Films/Roadside Attractions, NR)
• Gross: $953,000 (+26%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 148 (+35)
• Per-theater average: $6,442
• Cume to date: $2.9 million
OTHER OPENINGS
Stateside (IDP Films, NR)
• Gross: $117,000
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 156
• Per-theater average: $750