Behind Spider-Man 3, the gory horror film had the strongest per screen average in the city, a very healthy $20,718. With Spidey finally facing some stiff competition next weekend with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (and Shrek 3 waiting in the wings), look for 28 Weeks Later to build off its strong opening.

But in the city (if nowhere else), Keri Russell’s career resurrection continued apace. Manhattan theater-goers—who appear to have a soft spot for the former Felicity star (and ersatz "University of New York" student)— ate her up this weekend in Waitress, where she plays a down-on-her-luck pie maker with a cute—if not entirely believable—southern accent and more lady troubles than she had at UNY! Playing at seven theaters in Manhattan, the film averaged a respectable $11,549 per theater, cracking the top three in total box office here. (It has yet to crack the top 15 films in the country.) Expect Fox Searchlight to continue expanding it into more theaters. They’re taking their time with this one.

The same cannot be said for Jane Fonda and Lindsay Lohan's Georgia Rule, whose wide release was met with lukewarm box office. It finished behind Waitress in New York City, despite playing in two more theaters. Perhaps asking Felicity Huffman to balance out both Ms. Fonda and Ms. Lohan (and the hunky, yet clueless Dermot Mulroney) was too tall an order.

And this week’s straight-to-Netflix award goes to The Ex. The romantic comedy starring Justin Bateman, Zach Braff and Amanda Peet played on 6 screens in Manhattan, but could not out gross Away From Her or Paris Je T’aime both of which only played on two. There’s hope, yet!

Biggest opening weekend? Check. Biggest opening, period? Check. Biggest international release? Check.

But let’s add some insult to critical injury, please: Can you guess the two top-grossing theaters on the movie’s opening-day? L.A.’s gigantic ArcLight and … Sony’s Lincoln Square theater. Take that, Alice Tully!

If anything, the poor reviews only appeared to stir up more activity, like a stick poking a wasp nest. The film's earnings in Manhattan boil down to a $152,490 per screen average in New York City, five times the average in the rest of the country. Manhattanites added an astounding $1,829,875 to the movie's total cume.

"There'll be a fourth and a fifth and sixth and a seventh," Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal told Daily Variety. "As many stories as Peter Parker has to tell, we'll do sequels." Hooray!

Psst …Spider-Man 3 was not the only movie to opening this weekend. There was Manhattan's basement-dweller, Lucky You, a romantic comedy starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore. Although it played in eight theaters, it still did not win the counter-programming sweepstakes in New York City. Sarah Polley’s Away From Her, the Keri Russell vehicle Waitress and star-studded Paris Je T’Aime all made more money playing in two theaters, each with a healthy per screen average of over $18,000.

I guess they got some good reviews.