Note to Hollywood movie studios: Controversy sells more tickets than all the advertising in the world.
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” which has been debated, dismissed, and decried in the weeks leading up to its theatrical release, raked in?$81.6 million over the weekend. In the process it also became the second-largest opening weekend for a film released in the month of February. That record belongs to “The Passion of the Christ,” which earned $83.9 million in 2004.
The movie must be making executives smile at Universal Pictures, which financed the erotic thriller. “Fifty Shades of Grey” cost $40 million to produce and is on track to clear well over $90 million by the time President’s Day has ended later this evening. Nick Carpou the President of Universal Domestic Distribution remarked:
“Our fondest wishes were realized. This is one of those moments where I can speak for the entire studio and say we’re celebrating.”
Despite the good financial numbers for the film, moviegoers who saw the controversial adaptation of the best-selling book were not overwhelmed by what they viewed. They gave “Fifty Shades of Grey” a mediocre CinemaScore rating of C+, which is, as you might guess, just average.
The film has been panned by many critics and condemned by some religious groups. Reviewers tended to?criticize the movie as a tepid adaptation of what many considered to be a cliche-ridden novel. Also, the religious right claimed that exposing the public to any kind of “deviant” sex would only lead to the sexual abuse of women and children. Say what?!
Looking at the impressive weekend box office results, it’s certainly a safe bet to assume that Universal will be calling for a sequel in the near future. They can only hope the next “Shade” is as red hot as this one.
