Historically, Memorial Day weekend is the kick off for Summer movie season.  It’s also a good indicator for how the box office will fare throughout the coming months.  And with $142.1 million in ticket sales, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” set a new record for the weekend.

Pirates didn’t quite make it to the Spiderman 3 level, though.  The movie runs two hours, 47 minutes, almost half an hour longer than “Spider-Man 3.” That limited the number of screenings theaters could fit in. “Spider-Man 3” also opened amid lighter competition, while “At World’s End” was up against “Spider-Man 3” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Third.”

"This is probably the most competitive Memorial weekend ever - if not one of the most competitive weekends all time. It speaks volumes for how well we did,” said Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane.

“At World’s End” had taken in $156.1 million domestically, according to ABC News. The movie also grossed $245 million internationally since Wednesday, putting its worldwide total at $401 million in a matter of days.

Enjoy the behind the scenes footage of POTC: At World’s End, as well as the pictures of the Pirates cast at a Tokyo press conference on Wednesday (May 23).

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