Memorial Day weekend started early for Sex & the City 2. The sequel launched on 3,445 screens Thursday, bringing in $14.2 million including $3 million from midnight shows. Friday added another $13.1 million, giving Sex a running domestic estimate of $27.3 million and a projected five-day holiday take somewhere north of $65 million – just a bit over what the first Sex & the City made in 2008…over three days…on a non-holiday weekend. Counter-programming for the menopausal City gals came in the form of a beefed-up Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia the Sands of Time. The RPG turned big-screen adventure flick fell a bit flat in its debut, opening in third place with an estimated $10.2 million from 3,646 screens. The four-day projection for Persia looks like a solid $45 million so, Pirates of the Caribbean it ain’t.

Title

Friday

Total

1

Sex & the City 2

$13,100,000

$27.3

2

Shrek 4

$11.300.000

$101

3

Prince of Persia

$10,200,000

$10.2

4

Iron Man 2

$4,200,000

$262.7

5

Robin Hood

$2,800,000

$75.5