Fifty Shades Of Grey (Photo : www.dailymail.co.uk)
After its premiere a day before Valentine's Day, "Fifty Shades Of Grey" earned more than $81.7 million over the three-day period from 3,646 locations, making it the movie with the highest grossing Presidents Day Weekend opening of all time, Variety reported.
Previously, the record was held by the romantic comedy "Valentine's Day," which opened with $56.3 million in 2010.
"Fifty Shades Of Grey" is also currently the R-rated film with the biggest debut in history. Among its opening weekend audience, 68% were female, 52% were Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and 15% African-American.
"The gamble paid off. It flies in the face of what you'd expect to be released on that day. It's usually safe and non-offense dramas and comedies," Box Office vice president and chief analyst Phil Contrino said.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, "Fifty Shades Of Grey" stars Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Rita Ora, Max Martini and Callum Keith Rennier, among others.
In second place at the Presidents Day Weekend box office is another R-rated film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" of 20th Century Fox with $35.6 million opening from 3,204 locations. The Matthew Vaughn film stars Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Samuel L. Jackson.
Both "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Kingsman: The Secret Service" had originally been scheduled to debut in October 2014.
While the film industry recently tends to be fixated on youth, the Presidents Day weekend was notably adult-oriented.
Also in top five are "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water" with $30.5 million, "American Sniper" with $16.4 million and "Jupiter Ascending" with $9.3 million.
