Page 71 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

71
I t was only natural that Independence Day would
open in theaters across the United States on
Independence Day weekend. Instead of watching
fireworks in 1996, it seemed that everyone was at the
movies. Independence Day was huge. Action move fans
felt this was a movie they must see. Over its first five
days, Independence Day earned $83.5 million in ticket
sales, setting a new record for the most money any
movie had earned in such a short period.1 Fans went to
see Independence Day again and again. By the end of
1996, the movie had earned more than $300 million,
and Smith was a full-fledged star. He joked about his
Tech Junkie
Superstar
Chapter 7