Fifty Shades of Grey is a Irish box-office phenomenon

Well it’s official Fifty Shades of Grey is a box-office phenomenon. Not content with being the biggest opening for a female director in the US the film has broken a number of records in Ireland too. It is the number 1 movie in the UK & Ireland, taking an overall £14.3 million in its opening weekend.

Boasting a combined Northern Irish and Republic of Ireland box-office of €1,341,777 (€917,548 in the Republic and €423,709 in Northern Ireland), the film is the highest opening of 2015 to date, besting Taken 3‘s €712,061 and American Sniper‘s €481,322. The film is also the biggest 18 certificate opener, ahead of Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, which took €889,222 in 2001.

Fifty Shades of Grey is takes the mantle of the biggest Universal release in Ireland, ahead of TED with €1.11m, and the biggest February opening in Ireland, which used to be Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace at €1.1m.

In the States the film took $81.7 for the three-day weekend ($90.7 including previews) to become the second highest opening February film, behind Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. That combined with the $158 million non-domestic tally takes its global total to $248.7 million. Not bad for a $40 million dollar budget.

It’s not been a complete global success story however, as Fifty Shades of Grey only opened in fifth place in Japan, with $682,000. The film also is unlikely to open in China, meaning that without success in those two markets the film is unlikely to enter the $1bn club. Japan and China are the world’s third and fourth largest film markets, after the US and combined UK & Ireland markets.

Fifty Shades of Grey now occupies the 10th Biggest All-Time Opening in Ireland, behind Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Pt.2 (€2.05m), The Dark Knight Rises (€2.02m), The Simpsons Movie (€1.97m), Shrek the Third (€1.81m), Quantum of Solace (€1.75m), Shrek 2 (€1.68m),  Skyfall (€1.6m), The Dark Knight (€1.45m), and Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone (€1.37m).

The film sees a young student fall for a handsome, brilliant and intimidating man, with more than a hint of a dark side.

Northern Irish star Jamie Dornan plays Christian Grey, with Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele. Support comes from Eloise Mumford, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Dylan Neal, Callum Keith Rennie, Jennifer Ehle, and Marcia Gay Harden.

Fifty Shades of Grey is playing at cinemas nationwide, including 19 times a day at Cineworld. 19! Read our review here.