Fifty Shades of Grey Brings in Record Numbers at Box Office

1 minute read
By Josh Sanburn

Fifty Shades of Grey—an erotic R-rated movie based on the best-selling novel by E.L. James—brought in almost $9 million on Thursday and $30 million on Friday, according to Box Office Mojo, which could make it the highest-grossing February debut in history.

MORE: Fifty Shades of Grey Star Eloise Mumford: I Would Never Make a Film That Didn’t Empower Women

Movie experts are predicting that Fifty Shades, which features a sexually explicit relationship between a college student and a business mogul, will gross $91 million over a four-day stretch, surpassing the R-rated movie Passion of the Christ, which debuted in February 2004 and made $84 million.

It also could become the highest-grossing R-rated debut of all-time. Matrix Reloaded currently holds the top spot with almost $92 million made in its opening weekend in 2003.

Fifty Shades of Grey: TIME's Exclusive Portraits of the Cast and Director

Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele) and Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey) photographed at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015.
Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele) and Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015. Malerie Marder for TIME
dakota Johnson (anastasia “ana” steele) photographed at the chateau marmont in los angeles, ca on january 13th, 2015.
Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015.Malerie Marder for TIME
sam taylor-johnson (director) photographed at the chateau marmont in los angeles, ca on january 13th, 2015.
Sam Taylor-Johnson (director) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015.Malerie Marder for TIME

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com