“ The Fantastic Four: First Steps ” stretched its arms around $57 million from 4,125 theaters across Friday and preview screenings. Per Disney ‘s numbers, that’s the second-biggest opening day of the calendar year, ranking just behind “A Minecraft Movie” ($57.11 million). The film is playing Imax and other premium large format auditoriums.

The movie, the fifth effort to adapt the comic characters for the big screen, was expected to collect about $218 million worldwide in its first weekend.

First Steps is coming in lighter than projections in its first box office weekend with $117.6 million. Still records were broken.

First Steps” kept up the momentum at the summer box office that has boosted Hollywood’s year-to-date haul at the turnstyles to a more than 10% gain over last year’s strike-disrupted frame. The nuances of “Fantastic Four’s” performance in its opening weekend at the box office are discussed on the latest episode of