The original MIB took in $14.0 million on opening day Wednesday for a sizzling $4,650 per-location, which was a hefty figure back in the day. Nowadays with ticket price inflation, adults have to pay up to $10 dollars for a single ticket which should leave a strong gap between the ticket sales then and now. The goal for the Men in Black sequel is to conquer Jurassic Park III's $19.0 million ($5,540 per-theater) opening day return (as well as topping Episode I), which when considering the circumstances, should be a breeze to overcome. Anticipation and awareness is top of the line right now, as filmgoers await laughs and a fun ride, and ultimately, to see the men in black once again in action. With many of the folks that ventured to Spider-Man and Attack of the Clones opening weekends bound to end up at MIB2 this weekend as well, the Sony blockbuster should be headed for huge box office fireworks.

If Men in Black II scores a per-screen average reminiscent of AOTC's first Friday intake, it would score a Wednesday figure of nearly $28 or 29 million (in roughly 3,550 theaters), possibly canceling out Episode I as the biggest Wednesday grosser of all time. Its likelihood of venturing into the $8,000 zone (per-screen wise) is not too bad, with a single day sale that could very well snag a figure in the $30's. Whether or not it can top Harry Potter's Friday gross of $32.3 million ($8,805 per-screen) on its opening day is a lingering mystery, but not all that far out there in prospects. With Spider-Man being as the year's biggest box office surprise, one can say that theoretically anything is possible nowadays (will MIB2 near Spidey's opening day?) when it comes to ticket sales and box office deliveries. There was a day when a $7,000 per-screen one-day gross was pictured unimaginable when the last year or two the marketplace has held many.

Also going in MIB2's favor is that both Spidey and Episode II premiered in a time when their youth segments of the crowd had school, whereas now, its Wednesday and Thursday time slots are seen as a weekend of itself, giving the Men in Black follow-up ample of time to cook up blistering sales. Adding to that, the film's very short 85-some minute running time will serve very well in getting in as many moviegoers as possible in terms of showtimes, allowing more shows per-day to be available.

If Men in Black II is booked in the vicinity of 3,550 theaters, an opening day gross of $28 - 34 million looks headed our way, with a 3-day and 5-day tally that could climb to $80 and 135 million at the box office. The film's Wednesday-Thursday collaboration holds the potential to surpass the original's Friday - Sunday sales.

Be sure to tune in throughout the week (Thursday & Friday) and weekend for the latest box office reports on the performance of Men in Black II and the two other new releases.