Will ''Spider-Man 2'''s opening weekend match that of ''Spider-Man''? They're almost impossible to compare.
''Spider-Man'' grossed an unbelievable $114.8 million in its first three days in May 2002, a record that still holds more than two years later. The sequel, however, debuted on a Wednesday and promptly broke the record for opening-day gross -- previously held by the first ''Spider-Man'' -- with $40.5 million. Plus, it will enjoy a six-day debut ''weekend,'' thanks to the Fourth of July holiday. While it would be quite a feat for the second ''Spidey'' to break the Friday-through-Sunday benchmark, expect to see six-day numbers beyond anything we've ever seen -- in the ballpark of $170 million. For the four-day holiday weekend, it should rake in about $105 million.
Michael Moore's ''Fahrenheit 9/11,'' meanwhile, sees its theater count double this weekend, which should allow the controversial documentary to gross another $25 million over the long weekend, followed by the surprise hit ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' and ''White Chicks,'' which will each earn around $14 million.
Completing the top five will likely be ''The Notebook,'' which could see a small slide to $9 million in its second weekend. But every film in the marketplace will owe a debt of gratitude to ''Spider-Man 2,'' which will have moviegoers flocking to the multiplexes between Fourth of July barbecues.
