Fifty Shades of Grey has proven itself to be a record-breaker, chalking up the UK’s highest ever box office opening for an 18-rated film. It took £4.6m on Friday night alone. In the US its numbers were even more impressive: it took $81.7m, making it the highest grossing Presidents Day Weekend opener in history and one of the biggest R-rated debuts in history. It was also New Zealand’s most successful R-rated debut and the biggest ever movie release in South Africa. In total, internationally, it earned $239.7 during its opening weekend – “summer-style blockbuster numbers in February” said one analyst – repaying its $40m budget more than handsomely.
Cinema chains had another reason to thank the filmmakers as the movie sold a record number of ad slots and brought in a whole swathe of new advertisers, including Calvin Klein Jeans. Other upmarket brands wanting a piece of the action included Estée Lauder, Nike and General Motors.
Most importantly for retailers of adult goods, it’s going to be seen by hundreds of thousands of potential customers. As Neal Slateford of Lovehoney said after the film’s London premiere: “I can say without question that this movie is going to be very good for everyone in the adult business.”
The March issue of ETO will feature extensive coverage of the launch of the film and everything surrounding it.
