Moviegoers turned out en masse to see the sadomasochistic love story “Fifty Shades of Grey” over the Presidents’ Day weekend, delivering a triumph for Universal Pictures and potentially altering Hollywood’s approach to sex.
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” capitalizing on the fall of Valentine’s Day on a Saturday, will take in about $90.7 million between Thursday night and Monday, according to Rentrak, which compiles ticketing data. The movie, which cost $40 million, attracted an audience that was 68 percent female, Universal said.
The film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and based on the erotic novel by E. L. James, played in 3,646 theaters in North America, the largest release in history for an R-rated movie, according to Nick Carpou, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Theater owners added screens in response to a clamor from their patrons,” Mr. Carpou said on Sunday.
Female fans of the best-selling book — apparently dragging along a lot of reluctant husbands and boyfriends to theaters — created a wave of interest that pushed past reviewers, who gave the film terrible notices. Also drowned out were those calling for a boycott, among them the feminist group Stop Porn Culture, several domestic abuse organizations and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Cincinnati.
There were also small protests overseas, where the film took in an additional $158 million through Sunday. (Sample placard in London: “50 Shades of Nay!”) The movie was banned in some countries, including Indonesia, Kenya and Malaysia.
R-rated movies tend to perform best in big cities and other politically liberal areas. But “Fifty Shades of Grey” was enough of a cultural force — whipped up in part by Universal marketers — that crowds turned out in traditionally conservative places like the Carolinas, Kentucky and Tennessee, Mr. Carpou said.
The 24-screen AMC theater at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., sold out multiple showings on Saturday, including a 4 p.m. matinee.
“I never bought the argument that the sexual theme would keep people away,” said Michael De Luca, a producer of the film. “People are not that prudish anymore.”
The response to the film, which is expected to spawn two sequels, could have a ricochet effect in Hollywood, which for decades has been operating under an assumption that sex — at least, the most blatant sort — is multiplex poison.
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