According to AMC Theatres, the concert film, ” Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” debuted in first position with $21M in North American ticket sales.

The box office after Thanksgiving and into early December is generally slow, but “Renaissance” beat the odds. It’s the first time a picture has grossed more than $20 million on this weekend in 20 years (since “The Last Samurai”).

Beyoncé wrote, filmed, and produced “Renaissance,” which is about her Grammy-winning album tour. It opened in 2,539 theaters in the United States and Canada, as well as 94 overseas regions, earning $6.4M from 2,621 screens.

“On behalf of AMC Theatres Distribution and the entire theatrical industry, we thank Beyoncé for bringing this incredible film directly to her fans”, AMC Theatres executive vice president of worldwide programming Elizabeth Frank said in a statement. “To see it resonate with fans and with film critics on a weekend that many in the industry typically neglect is a testament to her immense talent, not just as a performer, but as a producer and director”.

The “Renaissance” tour, which began in Stockholm, Sweden in May and ended in Kansas City, Missouri in the fall, grossed more than $500M and drew over 2.7M concertgoers.

“Renaissance” received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, with the film sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a coveted A+ CinemaScore from polled opening weekend audiences.