Transformers: Dark of the Moon Crushes Fourth of July Box Office Record

The third Transformers film provided plenty of fireworks over the holiday weekend, blowing up box-office records for the Fourth of July weekend and logging the best opening weekend of 2011 thus far.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon grossed an estimated $97.4 million over the weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. That total eclipses Spider-Man 2's $88.2 million July Fourth debut in 2004 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'$90.1 million opening earlier this year.  The action film, starring Shia LaBeouf, took in $156.6 million over its first five days, more than the first film's $133.3 million haul but less than the $200.1 million the second Transformers raked in by Day 5.

Cars 2 tops predecessor; Bad Teacher surprises at the box office

Last weekend's No.1 film, Cars 2, ranked second for the weekend with $25.1 million. Bad Teacher followed in third place, earning an additional $14.1 million.

Larry Crowne and Monte Carlo, the weekend's other major new releases, followed at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Larry Crowne drew $13 million, while Monte Carlo opened to $7.6 million.

Coming in sixth, Super 8 nabbed $7.5 million. Green Lanternranked No. 7 with $6.3 million. Rounding out the top 10: Mr. Popper's Penguins (No. 8, $5.1 million), Bridesmaids (No. 9, $3.5 million) and Midnight in Paris (No. 10, $3.4 million).
Meanwhile, Bridesmaids brought its total haul to $152.9 million, besting Knocked Up as Judd Apatow's most successful film and surpassing Sex and the City to become the highest-grossing R-rated female comedy of all time. Also this weekend, the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film added enough additional booty to earn more than $1 billion globally.