Women flexed their box-office muscle this weekend as "Sex and the City" racked up $55.7 million to dethrone "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," according to studio estimates.
The Warner Bros. movie took the No. 1 spot away from the Harrison Ford sequel and also notched the highest opening ever for a romantic comedy, capturing that honor from Will Smith's "Hitch," which had tallied $43.1 million in 2005.
Huge ticket sales for Friday's opening day propelled the R-rated comedy, based on the HBO television series and with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis reprising their roles as pals Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.
The opening night crowd was estimated at 85% female -- and 80% older than 25 -- although theater owners told the studio that audiences were about 75% female during the rest of the weekend as it played a bit more as a date movie. Along with husbands and boyfriends, gay males are part of the show's fan base.
Prerelease tracking surveys had pointed to an opening of about $25 million, but they failed to capture an unusually passionate groundswell for the ensemble film.
"The cosmos were pouring and the girls came out in strength," said Dan Fellman, the president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros., referring to the show's signature cocktail. "There has never been, in the history of our industry, a female-driven movie that's created a frenzy like this."
Fellman said the closest thing might have been Super Bowl weekend's 3-D hit "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour," which attracted throngs of much-younger females when it came out.
Paramount Pictures' "Indiana Jones" took in $46 million over the weekend, dropping 54% from its opening, to rank No. 2. The horror film "The Strangers" from Universal's genre arm Rogue Pictures amassed a better-than-expected $20.7 million to finish No. 3.
Boosted by midnight shows and viewing parties around the country, "Sex and the City" grossed $26.9 million in its first day before falling off steeply on Saturday and Sunday, when it was outperformed by "Indiana Jones," according to the estimates.
Final box-office figures come out today.
"Sex and the City," which cost an estimated $55 million to $65 million to produce, could end up grossing $175 million or more domestically if its legs are solid. Studio executives would be encouraged by sales today of $5 million or more.
