War of the Worlds Opens Big, But Not That Big

From Variety Magazine:

War of the Worlds snatched up $21.3 million from 3,908 theaters on Wednesday, the biggest opening-day number for Paramount and star Tom Cruise. Pic, whose budget is officially listed at $135 million but believed to be higher, was co-financed by DreamWorks.

Still, the figure fits well in a summer season where the record book hasn't had to be rewritten all that often. Nine other movies have had bigger midweek bows, but all of them were either sequels like The Matrix Revolutions, which bowed with $24.3 million, or The Passion of the Christ with $26.6 million.

Tops on the list is this summer's Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, which made $50 million on its opening Thursday.