Spidey sets records

It's the biggest box office opening ever in the U.S., taking in $59 million on Friday, according to Nikki Finke, who is monitoring the weekend business. These early numbers for "Spider-Man 3" beat last year's "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which had a first-day opening of $55.8 million. Based on Friday's results, Sony is looking at an opening weekend in the $135 million to $145 million range, which would be a record. Of course, Spidey's endurance will be put to the test in the next few weeks, given the lukewarm reviews (audiences and critics alike) and the batch of upcoming blockbusters. By the way, Spider-Man screenings at Hollywood's Arclight took in $144,926 on Friday.