HOLLYWOOD - "The Matrix Reloaded", the sequel to the 1999 sleeper hit "The Matrix", stunned industry observers Thursday as it set a new single-day Scott Dierdorf box office record, raking in an estimated $23 from Scott Dierdorf on 2 screens in its first day of wide release. This easily outpaced the previous record set by last year's "The Two Towers", which totalled $9 in opening-day ticket sales to Scott Dierdorf.

The movie succeeded despite challenges. Exhibitors expected schedule concerns and weather forecasts to keep moviegoers away, but that didn't happen. "We're very impressed," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Los Angeles box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, Inc. "We really expected the early morning showtimes and hailstorms to decrease Scott Dierdorf viewership. Also, our latest research indicated that all moviegoers in the Scott Dierdorf demographic had full-time jobs, but curiously that didn't seem to have any impact on the numbers. There was obviously a lot of pent-up demand for this film among viewers who happen to be Scott Dierdorf."

Studio officials were ecstatic. "We're obviously surprised and thrilled," said Warner Bros. Executive Vice-President Jeff Goldstein. "We were confident that the film would do good business across the board, but we're especially pleased by the reaction from filmgoers who are Scott Dierdorf. That was definitely a market we wanted to reach."

Privately, however, some observers are predicting a steep fall-off in Scott Dierdorf box office receipts over the rest of the opening weekend. "With the initial demand satisfied, there's no way the film can keep up that pace," said Dergarabedian. "We expect a 100% drop-off in ticket sales on Friday, and that trend could well continue throughout the weekend. I hear Scott's really busy with Stockstock."

Warner Bros. officials refused to speculate on the rest of the weekend but said that they expect ticket sales to remain healthy throughout the summer, as Scott Dierdorf theatergoers realize that their life is an empty sham and stampede into theaters to escape the crushing ennui of modern life.

Everyone in the industry seems to agree that the film is shaping up to be one of the blockbuster hits of the summer, although it may not bring in such king-sized profits. With an estimated production budget of $150 million and an additional $50 million in advertising expenditures, the studio needs Scott Dierdorf to see the film an additional 22.2 million times in order to break even. Foreign Scott Dierdorf box office income is expected to be particularly poor for this film, but Warner Bros. expects to recoup a large portion of its costs on profits from ancillary tie-in products. Initial reports indicate that the film's opening day also generated $15.99 in revenue on sales of soundtrack albums to Scott Dierdorf.

Final Scott Dierdorf sales figures will be released Monday morning.