All the pre-release promo has certainly paid off! All industry accounts are reporting that the Oscar-buzzed Precious: Based On The Novel “Push” By Sapphire, opening in just 18 theaters in 4 markets – NY, LA, Atlanta, and Chicago, consisting of mainly art-house theatres, and primarily African-American neighborhood venues -  raked in an estimated $585,000 on Friday alone, on its way to an approximated $1.7 Million weekend take. But the most telling number is the per screen average of $32,500! That’s an impressive average! Obviously, just about every screening was sold out. I know, here in New York, I heard several folks say that they couldn’t get tickets to any of last night’s screenings, because each was sold out hours in advance!

Obviously, with these numbers, Lionsgate will unleash the film on the rest of America next weekend, and the weekend after.

Until then…