Q. Eight movies hit nationwide release on October 19. What are the most crowded weekends on record for new wide releases?

30 Days of Night, The Comebacks, Gone Baby Gone, Rendition, Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour, The Ten Commandments (2007) and Things We Lost in the Fire open on the weekend of Oct. 19-21, tying the record for most movies debuting nationwide. Additionally, Into the Wild expands nationwide for a total of eight movies reaching wide release, a new record for a single weekend.

Since 1982, there have been 21 weekends where six or more movies debuted in and/or expanded to wide release. Counting only debuts, there have been 12 weekends with six or more.

Seven is the highest number of nationwide debuts in a single weekend. That's happened twice before since 1982: Dec. 16-18, 1983 and Dec. 22-25, 1995. The Christmas season is more prone to gluts of new releases than other times of the year.

Below are charts showing the most crowded weekends for new wide releases—one for just nationwide debuts and another that includes nationwide expansions:

MOST WIDE RELEASES (Nationwide openings only.) Weekend (click to view weekend) # Movies Oct. 19–21, 2007 7 Dec. 23–25, 1995 7 Dec. 16–18, 1983 7 Apr. 13–15, 2007 6 Mar. 23–25, 2007 6 Oct. 11–13, 2002 6 Aug. 27–29, 1999 6 Jan. 12–14, 1996 6 Nov. 6–8, 1987 6 Aug. 7–9, 1987 6 Dec. 17–19, 1982 6 Note: A movie is considered to be in "wide" release when it is in 600 or more theaters. Charts as of April 13, 2007

MOST WIDE RELEASES (Including movies that went wide for the first time after limited release.) Weekend (click to view weekend) # Movies Oct. 19–21, 2007 8 Dec. 23–25, 2005 7 Dec. 23–25, 1995 7 Dec. 16–18, 1983 7 Dec. 17–19, 1982 7 Apr. 13–15, 2007 6 Mar. 23–25, 2007 6 Jan. 26–28, 2007 6 Nov. 24–26, 2006 6 Nov. 25–27, 2005 6 Dec. 24–26, 2004 6 Oct. 11–13, 2002 6 Sept. 2–29, 1999 6 Dec. 26–28, 1997 6 Jan. 12–14, 1996 6 Dec. 24–26, 1994 6 May 25–27, 1991 6 Nov. 6–8, 1987 6 Aug. 7–9, 1987 6 Jan. 31–Feb. 2, 1986 6

Note: This article was originally published on March 23, 2007 and edited to reflect updated information.