Shrek Opens with $39 Million Day

May 19, 2007

Update: Paramount have confirmed the $39 million opening day figure, with $900,000 earned in Thursday night previews.

Shrek the Third showed that moviegoers have enough appetite for more than one blockbuster opening in a month on Friday, as the movie opened with a huge $39 million day, according to The Numbers' estimates (see full daily chart). As expected, that's behind the pace of Spider-Man 3, which opened with a $59.8 million Friday, but Shrek, being a more kid-friendly movie, should pack theaters throughout Saturday and Sunday, and that will take it to similar box office heights.

Assuming a $45 million Saturday take and $35 million on Sunday, the ogre movie would end the weekend with around $120 million, which would be the third-biggest weekend in movie history.

Spider-Man 3, meanwhile, had a solid day on Friday, earning an estimated $7.8 million. 28 Weeks Later placed third with $1.7 million.

Filed under: Shrek the Third