CARREY IS ALMIGHTY
AT BOX OFFICE

The Jim Carrey comedy Bruce Almighty reigned at the box office in its opening weekend, taking in $86.4 million and easily surpassing The Matrix Reloaded as the No. 1 movie of the Memorial Day weekend.

The Matrix sequel earned $45.6 million to come in second its second week of release.

Carrey's previous best opening was the 2000 film, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which also held the record for a non-sequel comedy with a three-day bow of $55.1 million. The best comedy opening overall is the 2002 comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember with $73.1 million.

The film’s four-day sum of $86.4 million makes Bruce Almighty the No. 2 opener in history for the four-day Memorial Day holiday following the $90.2 million launch for The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997.

Attendance for The Matrix Reloaded, which has collected $209.5 million since its powerhouse debut May 14, shrunk by 60%, steeper than other blockbusters, including last year's Spider-Man and Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, which saw second-weekend ticket sales fall by only 38% and 40%, respectively.

The only other new film in wide release was the Michael Douglas-Albert Brooks remake of The In-Laws. The comedy, based on a 1979 film starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, collected $9.1 million.

Daddy Day Care held strong at No. 3 with $18 million, while X2: X-Men United took in another $13 million.