11-10-2002, 05:11 PM
Quote:Eminem proved to be a powerhouse at the box office with his urban drama 8 Mile which generated the best opening day ever for an R rated film with a Friday haul of $20.9M beating out Hannibal's $19M from February 2001. The phenomenal debut also ranks as the second biggest opening day ever in the month of November trailing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone which bowed to a towering $32.3M last year on its way to a record-breaking $90.3M weekend. However, by playing in just 2,471 theaters, 8 Mile's per-theater average of $8,450 nearly matched the $8,805 of Harry Potter on its opening day.
The critically acclaimed Eminem pic also carried a more restrictive rating compared to the boy wizard's PG. Since 8 Mile appeals to a core following of fans of the best-selling rapper, and that its target audience consists of a large number of teens and young adults, the Curtis Hanson film is expected to see a large share of its weekend business on Friday. For the three-day session, 8 Mile may find itself with a staggering $54-59M.
I am seeing this after the Giants game today, but I am shocked. It is on pace for 56 something million for this movie. I thought it would be good, but not do this well. This is all Eminem.