HOLLYWOOD – The opening of “Fifty Shades Freed” is dominating movie-going this week as cinemas await the arrival of “Black Panther.”

Sony’s launch of family comedy “Peter Rabbit” wound up with a better-than-expected ticket-sales while Clint Eastwood’s thriller “The 15:17 to Paris” from Warner Bros. arrived above forecasts.

A pair of sturdy holiday season holdovers in their eighth weeks took fourth and fifth, Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and Fox’s “The Greatest Showman”.

The finale of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy — referred to in marketing materials as “the climax” — is also launching in 57 international markets.

The weekend saw a significant increase in moviegoing in the wake of a slow Super Bowl weekend, according to comScore.

Moviegoing will receive another major boost over the Presidents Day weekend with Disney-Marvel’s “Black Panther” opening Friday.

Story Date: February 17, 2018