What would be the Opening Weekend Record Holders if every movie opened on a Friday?

[scabab]

This is something I've wanted to ask for quite a while now because I think it would be pretty interesting.

 

So here are the Opening Weekend Record holders as they actually stand starting from 1979

 

1979 - Star Trek - $11.93 million

1981 - Superman 2 - $14.10 million

1982 - Star Trek 2 - $14.35 million

1983 - Return of the Jedi - $23.02 million

1984 - Temple of Doom - $25.34 million

1987 - Beverly Hills Cop 2 - $26.35 million

1989 - The Last Crusade - $29.36 million

1989 - Ghostbusters 2 - $29.47 million

1989 - Batman - $40.51 million

1992 - Batman Returns - $45.9 million

1993 - Jurassic Park -  $47.03 million

1995 - Batman Forever - $52.78 million

1997 - The Lost World - $72.13 million

2001 - Harry Potter 1 - $90.29 million

2002 - Spider-Man - $114.84 million

2006 - Dead Man's Chest - $135.63 million

2007 - Spider-Man 3 - $151.12 million

2008 - The Dark Knight - $158.41 million

2011 - Harry Potter 8 - $169.19 million

2012 - The Avengers - $207.44 million

2015 - Jurassic World - $208.81 million

2015 - The Force Awakens - $247.97 million

2018 - Avengers Infinity War - $257.82 million

2019 - Avengers Endgame - $357.12 million

 

But obviously not every single movie has opened on a Friday. There have been several highly anticipated movies that have opened on a Thursday, Wednesday or sometimes even a Tuesday which then dilutes the actual opening weekend gross. 

 

So what I'm asking here is if all these movies opened on a Friday how would the above have changed based on the numbers we have and what you think?

 

Here's the movies that come to mind 

 

1980 - Empire Strikes Back - This movie opened on a Wednesday but was a bit unusual because it had a limited release up until it's 5th weekend so it wouldn't have made the record regardless. Had it opened on a Friday with a full release however then considering its actual 5th weekend gross was $10.84 million, not that far from Star Trek to begin with, then I'd have said this was a sure thing. Whether it would have been high enough that Superman 2 and Star Trek 2 wouldn't have made the record....I don't know.

 

1989 - Ghostbusters 2 just slipped past The Last Crusade. However that movie opened on a Wednesday. Had it opened on a Friday then surely Ghostbusters 2 would never have took the record at all.

 

1996 - Mission Impossible...maybe? Opened on a Wednesday it's 5 day of $63.53 million wasn't far off Batman Forevers $66.35 million. It may not have but may have been pretty close.

 

1996 - Independence Day almost certainly would have it already had a opening weekend of $50.23 million wasn't far off Batman Forevers opening as it was and ID4 opened on a Tuesday/Wednesday. 

 

1999 - Star Wars Episode 1 was the most anticipated movie in history at that point. It made the opening day record, surpassed The Lost World's 5 day and with an opening weekend of $64.82 million anyway it was bound to have surpassed it.

 

2003 - The Matrix Reloaded again maybe? Spider-Man had a opening day of $39.4 million and a 5 day of $135.84 million. The Matrix was not far behind on its opening day which was $37.5 million and it's 5 day $144.39 million was stronger so you'll have to tell me. It opened on a Thursday, its first 3 days of $108.2 million didn't put it far behind at all.

 

2004 - Spider-Man 2 opened on a Wednesday and made a opening day record. It's 5 day surpassed Spider-Man and The Matrix Reloaded. The Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday total $106.6 million so I'd say that was a given?

 

2005 - Star Wars Episode 3 opened on a Thursday easily making the opening day record. Infact it's first 3 day total of $124.2 million already beat Spider-Man so it's obvious it would have made the record. The real question had it opened on a Friday would it have made enough that Dead Man's Chest a year later would not have made the record instead?

 

So yeah that's pretty much all I got. Once Spider-Man 3 made the record in 2007 it's been quite straightforward since.

[Noctis]

Spider-Man 2 would have likely opened to $115m-$125m had it opened on a Friday and would have broken the opening weekend record. I also think Transformers 2 in 2009 would have cleared $150m but maybe not TDK's $158m. 

[scabab]

Oh that's right, I just checked and Transformers 2 had a 5 day of $200.1 which was just barely behind The Dark Knights $203.8 million.

 

I remember people thinking it was a real contender at the time.

[Fanboy]

Shrek 2 didn’t have a very big opening day on its Wednesday opening, but it was only about $6 million behind Spider-Man so perhaps some of it’s $11 million OD  would have added to its opening weekend and the studio could have fudged it over Spider-Man? 

[Torontofan]

ROTS would have broke the record in 2005 easily I think

 

[Jiffy]

Kinda forget that the major pre-Friday releases have kind of been abandoned lately outside Far From Home compared to how common they used to be? Maybe the creep of Thursday previews has played a part in that.

[excel1]

Mission Impossible 2 is another huge Wednesday opener. Pearl Harbor opened on a Friday but the Monday holiday deflated the weekend gross a bit. Jurassic Park 3 was a Wednesday opener.

[excel1]

My guess at all things being equal Fri-Sun/non Holiday Monday:

 

1996 - Mission Impossible: $52m NEAR new RECORD at time

1996 - Independence Day : $75m HUGE new record

1997 - The Lost World: $75m NEW RECORD

1999 - Star Wars Episode 1:  $85m NEW RECORD

2000 - Mission Impossible 2: $74m NEW record

2001 - Pearl Harbor: $70m NEAR new record

2001 - Jurassic Park 3: $66m NEAR new record

2003 - The Matrix Reloaded: $120m NEW record

2004 - Spider-Man 2: $118m NEW RECORD  

2005 - Star Wars Episode 3: $133m NEW RECORD 

2009 - Transformers 2: $153m NEAR new record

Edited July 3 by excel1

[scabab]

Shrek 2 was a definite contender for breaking the record. Probably the only animated film that could have done it actually.