Shutter Island has Biggest Debut Ever for Scorsese and DiCap

Nikki Finke calls the decision to move Shutter Island to the dead zone of February and March has proved “shrewdly strategic.” Shutter Island has trounced the competition, with the potential to earn $35+ for its opening weekend. Shutter Island has been called the best film of the year so far by a few movie bloggers out there, like Cinematical‘s Erik Childress and CNN’s Tom Charity.

Meanwhile, Avatar is holding steady in the top five, with an estimated weekend take of $16 million, as it closes in on $700 million domestic take. Incredible. Avatar is clearly an experience that audiences are going back for again and again.

[UPDATE: I’m going to recommend that anybody who wants to get the full impact from Shutter Island should stay away from comments and discussions until after you’ve seen it, ok?¬† Even with the abundant SPOILER warnings on the next page, you run the risk of learning more than you want to know about the plot.¬† Please see the movie first and then come join the conversation. — Ryan]