Fifty Shades of Grey earned $8.6 million from 2,830 theaters as it began rolling out in North America Thursday night. The movie got a boost from women who have waited nearly three years to see the film. That’s the top Thursday night gross ever for a Universal film, besting Fast & Furious 6. It’s also the top gross ever for a film released in February. To boot, it’s the second-highest latenight showing for an R-rated film after The Hangover 2. By Friday, the Universal and Focus Features’ title will be playing in 3,646 locations, the widest release ever for an R-rated film.
