‘Shrek 2’ has a monster opening
DreamWorks’ animated film “Shrek 2” got off to a strong start Wednesday, promising a happily ever after for the studio at the end of the weekend. The sequel to 1999’s $482.6-million worldwide-grossing “Shrek” took in $11.8 million in 3,737 theaters its first day, including midnight Tuesday previews.
Although a record for a Wednesday opening of an animated movie, “Shrek 2’s” numbers benefit from a lack of competition because relatively few animated films open midweek and most live-action films that do so have a strong fan base or open on a holiday weekend. The top midweek opener remains “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which took in $34.4 million on a Wednesday last December.
The previous midweek animated record-holder, “Pokemon,” opened with $10.1 million on Nov. 10, 1999.
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