It looks like this summer will come away with a mark in the record books, if estimates hold. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest," the sequel to 2003’s surprise smash hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," grossed $55.5M on Friday, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. It’s the biggest single-day gross ever, besting the $50M single-day debut of last year’s "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."
The $55.5M take by "Dead Man’s Chest" is more than what the original did in its entire weekend ($46.6M). "Curse of the Black Pearl," fueled by great reviews lauding Johnny Depp‘s performance, was leggy and went on to gross $305M domestically. "Dead Man’s Chest" will likely surpass that number.
The highly-anticipated sequel didn’t score with critics, however. It has a middling Tomatometer of 52%. Critics say the sequel lacks the humor and originality of the first film.
In "Dead Man’s Chest," Johnny Depp is back as the scoundrel Jack Sparrow, with Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom along for the ride, this time aboard a craft containing the cephalopodan Davy Jones and his crew.
Sunday Update (According to Exibitor Relations):
Records Set by Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Top 5 Openers of All Time
(I wonder where "Spider-Man 2" fits in. It did gross $115.8M Fri-Sun and $180M from Wed-Sun)
