User blog:Ceauntay/$100M 'Hangover 2' breaks R-rated comedy record

After just four days at the domestic box office, Warner Bros.' The Hangover Part II took in an estimated $118.1 million, with three-day figures totaling $86.5 million, making Hangover II the biggest three-day opening for an R-rated comedy. Pic still has one day left of prime Memorial Day moviegoing, likely to reach north of $125 million. Though Paramount-DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 2, which grossed an estimated $53.8 million through Sunday, including the early Thursday bow, should win the holiday as family-driven films typically rule that day. In fact, Paramount is estimating the toon will make an additional $14.4 million on Monday. Memorial Day weekend historically has been one of the best weekends of the year at the box office -- and this year's new entries more than made the most of the high B.O. tide. Fox Searchlight scored the year's second-best per-screen average, with Palme d'Or winner The Tree of Life estimating $88,080 from four screens. Pic came up short of last weekend's champ, Midnight in Paris, which expanded Friday to 58 locations for an estimated weekend take of $1.9 million, enough to land in the top 10. Tree debuted this weekend a total estimated $352,320. Among the weekend's top holdovers, Disney nabbed the No. 3 spot with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides dropping just 56% in its soph sesh for a three-day estimated $39.3 million. The film now has cumed domestically $152.9 million through Sunday, with worldwide totals at a boffo $623.7 million. Stranger Tides is the year's fastest growing film at the global box office, as well as the year's highest-grossing so far. Pic crossed the $600 million global benchmark in just 12 days, matching the industry record set in 2007 by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. And now for the sad news. Coming in fourth place is True Jackson, VP: The Movie with a disappointing $30 million. That about two and a half of iCarly: The Movie's $50 million opening in 2010. But good news is that it did go big when it brought in $44 million, should pass its $45 million budget tomorrow. It will likely to ended up to near $100 million.

Back Stateside, Universal's femme-driven raunchfest Bridesmaids tallied a three-day estimated $16.4 million. Even with Hangover II in the market, Bridesmaids dropped a scant 21 percent in its third frame for an estimated domestic cume of $85 million.

Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com