When released in American theaters on May 23, 2003, "Bruce Almighty" opened to mixed reviews from critics, but was a box-office success and grossed $85.9 million, making it the top Memorial Day opening weekend of any film in history at the time. The film surprised film pundits when it beat "The Matrix Reloaded" the following weekend. By the end of its theatrical run, the film had made $242 million domestically and a total $484 million worldwide, making it Carrey’s highest grossing film worldwide, as well as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2003.