'Star Trek' opening night beams up $7 million

Thursday screenings get J.J. Abrams' reboot off to a strong start

By HitFix Staff Friday, May 8, 2009 3:02 PM

Zachary Quinto of 'Star Trek'

Credit: Paramount

Paramount's reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise is off to a promising start, grossing an estimated $7 million as of Friday (May 8) morning.

The J.J. Abrams-direct "Star Trek" opened its run on Thursday night with 7 p.m. screenings at most of its 3,800 venues, according to Variety.

The opening night for "Star Trek" outgrossed last week's $5 million for 20th Century Fox's "Wolverine," though that total was garnered off of midnight-and-later screenings. It also put "Star Trek" ahead of last May's "Iron Man," which did $4 million for its Thursday evening/midnight screenings.

Nobody in the industry expects "Star Trek" to get anywhere near the $102.1 million opening weekend for "Iron Man," also a Paramount release, but early critical reaction is shockingly positive. "Star Trek" currently stands at 96% Fresh on RottenTomatoes.com.

Come back to HitFix for updates on the "Star Trek" box office throughout the weekend.

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