‘Mission’ Sets Records; Misses ‘Batman’ High

Records fell like beach chairs blown over by the wind. Biggest sneak-preview opening. Biggest Wednesday opening. Biggest May opening. Biggest Memorial Day opening. Biggest six-day opening.

Yet the behemoth of box-office records - the all-time opening set by “Batman Forever” last June of $52.8 million in three days - proved an impossible mission for “Mission: Impossible.”

The film earned a record $3.4 million during sneak previews Tuesday (beating “Jurassic Park’s” $3.1 million). It racked up $11.8 million by the end of Wednesday (besting “Terminator 2’s” $11.7 million). And over the four-day weekend, it picked up a projected $56.9 million more for a total of $75 million over 6-/12 days (topping “Jurassic Park’s” $74 million).

“I guess you have to say they accomplished their mission,” said Martin Grove, columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and film analyst for CNN.

Even with all the good news, you can bet executives at Paramount were saying, “Whew, at least it beat ‘Twister.”’ Because “Mission’s” only ahead for now. The Warner Bros. tornado-chasing extravaganza wasn’t that far behind the industry leader this weekend with a second-place finish of $37.1 million and a heftier cumulative gross of approximately $144 million after three weeks.