Russell Crowe & Hugh Jackman in Universal Pictures' 'Les Misérables'
No Misery
5. “Les Miserables” burst onto the box office scene yesterday, raking in $18.2 million and setting a couple of records along the way: Best opening day for a musical and best weekday Christmas opening ever (Friday opener “Sherlock Holmes” holds the record for best ever Christmas Day opening at $24.6 million). Of course, it helps to have a built in audience, and “Les Mis” certainly has that. The English-language production debuted on London’s West End in 1985 and has run continuously ever since, making it one of the longest running musicals ever. All told, between the London production, the Broadway production, and all the touring productions, “Les Mis” has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.