'Fifty Shades of Grey' is Universal's Most Successful R-Rated Movie
Fifty Shades of Grey has become Universal Pictures’ highest-grossing R-rated international release with $338.4 million, topping the $330 million made by Seth MacFarlene's, Ted in 2012.
It's predicted that globally Fifty Shades of Grey will reach the $500 million mark next week. That's a hugely impressive return for Universal given they invested $40 million to turn the massively popular book into the big screen success it has become.
In the United States, the film has started to slow down, with it dropping more than 50% in its third week to $10.9 million. Due to its subject matter, Fifty Shades of Grey has been banned in much of the Middle East, with only two territories left in its international schedule that hasn't seen the movie released — India and Egypt — which Universal hope will bring in healthy numbers.
It's expected to have another strong week before its expected downturn begins. But, as the figures show, Fifty Shades of Grey has been the cultural and box office success Universal wanted. Whether you like the movie or despise it, it's a current conversation topic amongst many, which has helped it appeal to the curious moviegoer.
