Weekend Estimates: Shrek Opens with $122 Million

May 20, 2007

May is continuing on its winning way, with another gargantuan opening this weekend. Shrek the Third earned an estimated $122 million, the 3rd-biggest weekend in history and a new record for an animated movie (beating Shrek 2's $108 million opening in 2004).

After posting a healthy $38.5 million on Friday, Shrek gathered steam through the weekend. Saturday's total of $47 million is the 5th-biggest day in movie history (see complete list), and the second-biggest Saturday behind Spider-Man 3. Finally, Sunday's $36.5 million is the second-biggest Sunday on record, again just behind Spider-Man 3.

Down the charts, there was not a huge amount to get excited about for the films in wide release, but indies had a good weekend. Spider-Man fell a shade over 50% to an estimated $28.5 million. Disturbia showed continued good legs, down just 22% to $3.67 million.

In art-houses, Waitress hit the top 10 while playing in just 116 theaters. It earned an estimated $1.135 million. Once, another Fox Searchlight release, earned over $60,000 in just two theaters.

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Shrek the Third