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Universal Pictures' and Imagine Entertainment's "8 Mile," featuring the acting debut of rap superstar Eminem, created a sensation at the domestic box office this weekend by opening at number one with $51.2 million in its first three days of release.

In addition to the chart-topping performance of the film, rap-phenom Eminem went down in the record books as "8 Mile" enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a film starring a musical performer. The film had the second biggest opening ever for an R-rated film, following only "Hannibal," which opened with $58 million in 2001, and the biggest opening ever for an R-rated fall release.

With 2,470 playdates, the critically acclaimed drama from Academy Award(R)-winning filmmakers Brian Grazer and Curtis Hanson, averaged a stunning $20,745 per screen.

"Clearly all audiences, and not simply Eminem's fans, made an appointment to see '8 Mile' this past weekend -- it truly became an event, a cultural phenomenon for our times," said Nikki Rocco, president, distribution, Universal Pictures. "We believed that Brian Grazer and Curtis Hanson made a brilliant film with stunning performances and the critics agreed with us; the response has been overwhelming."

"8 Mile," a drama set against the 1995 hip-hop scene in Detroit, is about the boundaries that define our lives and a young man's struggle to find the strength and courage to transcend them. In addition to Eminem, "8 Mile" stars Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer and Brittany Murphy.

Directed by Hanson ("Wonder Boys," "L.A. Confidential") and produced by Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "Apollo 13"), Hanson and Jimmy Iovine from an original screenplay by Scott Silver, "8 Mile" was filmed entirely in and around Detroit. Carol Fenelon, James Whitaker, Gregory Goodman and Paul Rosenberg are the executive producers.

The film's production team includes director of photography Rodrigo Prieto ("Frida," "Amores Perros"), production designer Philip Messina ("Ocean's Eleven," "Traffic," "Erin Brockovich"), costume designer Mark Bridges ("Magnolia," "Blow," "Boogie Nights") and editors Jay Rabinowitz ("Requiem for a Dream," "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai") and Craig Kitson. The "8 Mile" soundtrack debuted at number one a week before the film's opening, selling more than 703,000 in its first week of release.

SOURCE: Universal Pictures