Movies
Producers Columbia Pictures say the movie took $77 million in the United States and Canada and $224m worldwide in its first three days in cinemas.
It has beaten Ice Age: The Meltdown (with $68m) to become this year's biggest US debut and trails behind only Star Wars: Episode III's global record of $253m.
The film's achievement comes despite opposition from religious groups and a string of poor reviews.
Columbia welcomed the news. "The book became more than a book and the movie became more than a movie," said marketing spokeswoman Valerie Van Galder. "It became a perfect storm."
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