LOS ANGELES — “The Hangover Part II” set a sobering new box office record in its first day open.
Early receipts leaked to Deadline on Friday showed that the movie took in $31.6 million in the US Thursday — the most ever for an R-rated comedy.
The previous R-rated comedy record holder was “Sex And The City,” which opened on a Friday in 2008 with $26.7 million.
If the “Hangover” pace holds, the movie starring Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis will earn up to $85 million over the three-day weekend, and a whopping $125 million over the five-day Memorial Day holiday, including Thursday.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” an executive at producer Warner Bros. told Deadline.
The record-breaking haul came despite generally negative reviews from critics, who were far more enthusiastic about the 2009 original. The sequel earned a 33 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 79 percent for the first.
“I have the sad duty to report I found this more elaborate, play-it-safe sequel far less fresh or funny,” The Post’s Lou Lumenick wrote.
Also opening this weekend is the animated, PG-rated “Kung Fu Panda 2.”
