Universal, DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama A Beautiful Mind, which received eight Oscar nominations, held on to seventh place in its ninth week with an impressive ESTIMATED $9.86 million (+46%) at 2,081 theaters (-139 theaters; $4,740 per theater). Its cume is approximately $126.1 million, heading for $150 million-plus, depending on how well it does in terms of winning Oscars. (Its estimated gross for three days was $8.5 million.)

Directed by Ron Howard, the Brian Grazer production stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly.

"We're very, very pleased with the performance of this film," Universal's Nikki Rocco said. "You're never quite sure how a film that's already hit $100 million will perform after the nominations, but it's obvious that this picture has such high visibility with a broad audience that the numbers are just proving over and over again that this is a picture everyone is truly enamored with. I never expected a 46 percent increase for the four days. But it's quite obvious that the picture has incredible legs and is going to be around for a very long time."

Rocco noted that A Beautiful Mind benefited from its eight Oscar nominations as well as "from a very strong marketplace."

Revolution Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' R rated drama Black Hawk Down, which was fourth last week, tied for eighth place in its eighth week of release via Columbia Pictures with a slower ESTIMATED $7.5 million (-12%) at 2,150 theaters (-814 theaters; $3,488 per theater). Its cume is approximately $96.5 million, heading for $115-120 million. (Its estimated gross for three days was $6.2 million.)

Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Josh Hartnett.

"It should hit $100 million (by), perhaps, next Saturday," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing & distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.

Fox Searchlight Pictures' opening of its R rated comedy Super Troopers tied for eighth place with a happy ESTIMATED $7.5 million at 1,778 theaters ($4,218 per theater). (Its estimated gross for three days was $6.2 million.)

Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, it stars Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan.

"We had a fabulous opening," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning. "For us, it's a terrific success. It's a film in which we have invested $3.25 million, so we're already out by this Tuesday.

"This is not about us competing for a position in the market as far as being number one, two or three. We had a very specific goal to reach and we exceeded it and we're just thrilled in a very crowded market to do this business. We knew there was no comedy really aimed at the R rated college age young males and we nailed it and we're really pleased about that. It's very low budget and a very controlled marketing campaign on the film and it worked."

Fox Searchlight bought the film at the Sundance Film Festival a year ago. "It's a very talented young comedy group called Broken Lizard who wrote it and act in it," Gilula said. "We're excited about the talent. It plays very well to that particular audience. Our investment is $3.25 million. So it's a very, very successful and profitable venture for us. As the numbers project out, we're going to have a tremendous afterlife for this film. And we own it for the world."