By Ryan Parsons | Image property of New Line Cinema, Variety
Sex and the City
After hearing so much buzz claiming that Sex and the City would likely let down the series' die hard fans I assumed that the film wouldn't have a chance against so many summer tentpoles. Little did I know, as the film not only took the #1 spot over the weekend -- quickly removing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from the top position -- but the adaptation has quickly become the biggest comedic R-rated opening ever.
Sex and the City Sells Box Office Tickets
As it turns out, sex sells. Containing a fair share of nudity, or so I'm told, Sex and the City surprised Hollywood by earning an estimated $55.7 million at the box office. New Line, who remains the king of surprise franchises, is already considering a sequel.
“This has become a cultural phenomenon. What this shows is that given the right project, you can create a frenzy for the female aud, just like we are used to with boys and men,” Warner prexy of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said. The female audience proved strong, as 85% of the film's attendees wore thongs.
The adaptation of the popular HBO series, however, wasn't the only surprise over the weekend.
Enjoying a great online campaign ad campaign, Rogue Pictures' The Strangers grossed an amazing $20.7 million over the weekend; far exceeding expectations. Having only cost $9 million to produce, the film slipped into the #3 spot for its opening bow.
So what took #2? Indiana Jones of course! Though there were some predictions assuming lack of "word of mouth" would hurt the sequel's second outing, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull dropped a respectable 54% in its second frame to earn other $46 million, taking the film far past the $200M mark to $216.9 million.
Though Sex and the City doesn't seem to have the pump-supported-legs to hold an audience in the weeks to come -- numbers report a huge drop in ticket sales from Friday to Saturday -- the film further proves that romantic comedies can prosper amongst a tentpole-laden summer.
Add to Heffee!
