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By Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) � Fright maestro M. Night Shyamalan scared up his latest No. 1 debut with �The Village,� a tale of an isolated town menaced by bogey men in the woods that had a $50.8 million opening weekend. �The Village� bumped off the previous weekend�s top movie, �The Bourne Supremacy,� which slipped to No. 2 with $23.4 million, bringing its 10-day total to $98 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Denzel Washington�s remake �The Manchurian Candidate� opened at No. 3 with $20.2 million. The update of the 1962 assassination thriller co-stars Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber. The weekend�s other wide releases flopped. �Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,� about two stoned pals on a comic quest for burgers, premiered at No. 7 with $5.15 million. The family sci-fi saga �Thunderbirds,� featuring Ben Kingsley and Bill Paxton in an update of the cult TV series, debuted at No. 11 with $2.7 million. With a budget of just $9 million, �Harold & Kumar� poses no financial hardship for distributor New Line. �Thunderbirds,� which cost $57 million to make, could present a hefty loss for distributor Universal. Overall revenues rose, with the top 12 movies taking in $140.4 million, up 6.5 percent from the same weekend last year. Hollywood�s domestic grosses are running at about $3 billion since early May, $200 million ahead of the pace of last year�s record summer of $3.9 billion, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. The industry enters the summer homestretch on a solid run, with three straight movies � �I, Robot,� �The Bourne Supremacy� and �The Village� � debuting with more than $50 million. Coming Friday is Tom Cruise�s thriller �Collateral,� and the following weekend brings the sequel �Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement� and �Alien vs. Predator,� a potential sleeper success on the order of last year�s �Freddy vs. Jason.� �We�re on a pretty good roll right now,� said Paul Dergarabedian, Exhibitor Relations president. �This is a very strong way for summer to wind up. Usually, by August, things are really slowing down.� �The Village� was writer-director Shyamalan�s second-best debut behind the $60.1 million opening weekend for �Signs� in summer 2002. Shyamalan�s top-grossing film, �The Sixth Sense,� debuted with an unremarkable $26.7 million but gradually climbed to blockbuster status with $293.5 million. The movie, whose ensemble cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt and Bryce Dallas Howard, broke a string of duds for distributor Disney, whose 2004 releases include the bombs �The Alamo� and �Around the World in 80 Days.� �It makes it so much more fun. I�m sitting in the office right now, and I can�t tell you how thrilled I am,� said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution. �Sometimes, you come in and it�s not as much fun.� The romance �Garden State,� from writer, director and star Zach Braff, opened strongly in limited release with $185,000 at just nine theaters. The movie expands into nationwide release through late August. �Shrek 2� took in $1.3 million to pad its total to $432.4 million, passing �Star Wars: Episode I � The Phantom Menace� to become No. 4 on the all-time domestic chart. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.: 1. �The Village,� $50.8 million. 2. �The Bourne Supremacy,� $23.4 million. 3. �The Manchurian Candidate,� $20.2 million. 4. �I, Robot,� $10.05 million. 5. �Spider-Man 2,� $8.5 million. 6. �Catwoman,� $6.1 million. 7. �Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,� $5.15 million. 8. �A Cinderella Story,� $4.7 million. 9 (tie). �Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,� $3.1 million. 9 (tie). �Fahrenheit 9/11,� $3.1 million. Add a comment  |
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