Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe HOLLYWOOD, May 12 (UPI) -- The second weekend of "Spider-Man" continued to generate massive business with an estimated $72 million at 3,615 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday. The Sony release has continued to pull in business at stratospheric levels with a drop of only 37 percent from its $114.8 million record-setting opening weekend. "Spider-Man" has now grossed $223.6 million in 10 days, making it 29th highest domestic performer of all time ahead of "Mrs. Doubtfire." Advertisement "Spider-Man" crossed the $200 million mark on only its ninth day, smashing the previous record of 13 days set three years ago by "Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace." It also posted the best second weekend, topping the $57.5 million record set last November by "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The performance was well above forecasts, which had been in the $50 million to $60 million range due to the usual declines of 50 percent or more in the second weekend for films with large opening weekends. Advertisement 20th Century Fox's upcoming opening of "Star Wars: Episode 2 -- Attack of the Clones" ensures that next weekend will probably see massive grosses due to expectations that the fifth version of George Lucas' "Star Wars" saga should be able to generate numbers in the same range as "Spider-Man." Also opening will be Universal's "About a Boy," a British drama with Hugh Grant that has performed well so far in the United Kingdom. "Spider-Man" grossed 64 percent of the $112 million taken in by the top 10 films, which were $43 million ahead of the same weekend last year when "The Mummy Returns" led with $33.7 million in its second weekend. Year-to-date business has hit $2.9 billion and is 16 percent ahead of the same time last year. Finishing in a distant, but respectable, second was Fox's erotic thriller "Unfaithful," starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane and directed by Adrian Lyne, with $14.2 million at 2,613 theaters. With younger moviegoers rushing to see "Spider-Man" and the new "Star Wars," "Unfaithful" may be able to continue tapping into the adult market in coming weeks. Advertisement Sony's opening of teen comedy "The New Guy," starring DJ Qualls and Eddie Griffin, came in third with $9.5 million at 2,687 sites. Universal's fourth weekend of "The Scorpion King" followed with $4.4 million at 3,219 sites, bringing its 24-day total above $80 million. Paramount's fifth weekend of "Changing Lanes" came in fifth with $3.5 million at 2,510 theaters to lift its total to $57 million, followed by Warner Bros.' fourth weekend of "Murder By Numbers" with $2.3 million at 2,116 sites and Disney's seventh weekend of "The Rookie" with $2.1 million at 2,117 locations. Rounding out the top 10 were Sony's seventh weekend of "Panic Room" with $1.5 million at 1,350 sites, Fox's ninth weekend of "Ice Age" with $1.4 million at 1,729 theaters and Fox's third weekend of "Life or Something Like It" with $1.3 million at 1,872 screens. "Panic Room" has topped $91 million and "Ice Age" is near $171 million overall and ranks 69th on the all-time domestic list ahead of "A Beautiful Mind." Finishing 11th was MGM's second weekend of street gang drama "Deuces Wild" with a disappointing $1.2 million at 1,480 theaters, followed by IFC's fourth weekend of art-house favorite "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" with $1.1 million at 249 locations. Advertisement Sony Classics opened French drama "The Lady and the Duke" with $26,200 at five theaters.
