MashBlur

Critics despised it and audiences seem lukewarm, but excitement over Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was high enough to propel a monster opening weekend for Warner Bros.

The estimated domestic total is $170.1 million. Assuming that number stands, it's just enough to slay the studio's previous all-time opening record, set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 ($169.1 million).

The race is so close that we won't know for sure which one comes out on top until Monday, when the final weekend receipts are tallied. WB's estimate is based on concrete numbers for Friday and Saturday, plus Sunday estimates.

Whether or not the Potter record stands, the box office success for BvS is a validation of the studio's long-term DC Comics plan. The new movie is the first building block in a series that's meant to rival Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Just don't overlook who the real winner is this weekend: Easter.

Easter weekend hasn't traditionally been a platform for mega-blockbuster launches, but that changed in 2015 when Furious 7 cruised to a record-setting $148.2 million opening. It more than doubled the previous record, set by WB's Clash of the Titans ($61.2 million) in 2010.

The similarly massive opening for BvS breaks Furious 7's Easter total. It is said that "three's a trend," and Fast and Furious 8 is currently poised to be the trend-setter in 2017, with anotherEaster weekend opening for the series.

In the past, the first quarter of any year is generally where questionable box office performers are sent to die. But with more studios warming to the idea of long-term franchise-building, there's not as much freedom to operate during the all-important spring and summer months, when school's out and many people seek respite from the heat.

For two years running, Easter has proven to be an oasis in the first-quarter desert. Furious 7 andBvS were both propelled by committed fanbases and deft hype-building, and in both cases the marketing spend paid off.

Trailing significantly behind BvS is Disney Animation's Zootopia, which looks to close its fourth weekend with an estimated $23.1 million. It's been a monster run so far for the family-friendly animated comedy, with a cumulative $240.5 million domestically as of this weekend, and just shy of $700 million worldwide.

The top five is rounded out by My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 ($18.1 million), Miracles From Heaven ($9.5 million) and The Divergent Series: Allegiant ($9.5 million). 

It's a happy opening for Wedding, which has already eclipsed any of its 2002 predecessor's single weekend performances. The two movies are difficult to compare given the original's four-month run in limited release, but it seems unlikely that the wide-release Wedding 2 will come close to the original's $368.7 lifetime take at the box office.

Allegiant is also worth a mention. It immediately fell flat last weekend, with its opening domestic take coming in at a series-low $37.1 million. The franchise now seems to have fallen off a cliff completely, with less than $10 million earned off of more than 3,700 screens.

Allegiant is the first half of a two-part big screen adaptation of the final book in the young adult series. The Divergent Series: Ascendant is set to bow on June 9, 2017 after it was moved out of its original March release. It may well move again now if Summit and Lionsgate decide that the June 9 slot is better saved for more lucrative opportunities.