LOS ANGELES — Moviegoers turned out en masse to see the sadomasochistic love story “Fifty Shades of Grey” over the Presidents’ Day weekend, delivering a triumph for Universal Pictures and potentially altering Hollywood’s approach to sex.
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” capitalizing on the fall of Valentine’s Day on a Saturday, will take in about $90.7 million between Thursday night and Monday, according to Rentrak, which compiles ticketing data. The movie, which cost $40 million, attracted an audience that was 68 percent female, Universal said.
The film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and based on the erotic novel by E. L. James, played in 3,646 theaters in North America, the largest release in history for an R-rated movie, according to Nick Carpou, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Theater owners added screens in response to a clamor from their patrons,” Mr. Carpou said on Sunday.
Female fans of the best-selling book — apparently dragging along a lot of reluctant husbands and boyfriends to theaters — created a wave of interest that pushed past reviewers, who gave the film terrible notices. Also drowned out were those calling for a boycott, among them the feminist group Stop Porn Culture, several domestic abuse organizations and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Cincinnati.
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Universal also advertised the film during the Super Bowl.
Phil Contrino, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, said on Sunday that “Fifty Shades of Grey” was on pace to take in $500 million worldwide without batting an eye. He called that a ticket-selling achievement “that’s sure to shake up the definition of what a blockbuster can look like.”
A version of this article appears in print on February 16, 2015, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: In a Shift, ‘Shades’ Dominates Box Office. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
