THE TOP TEN

(NOTE: Today's films are ranked according to their estimates for the FIVE-DAY Thanksgiving holiday period from Wednesday through Sunday. Percentage variations do not apply because the previous weekend was a normal three-day weekend. Estimates for the three-day period from Friday through Sunday are indicated parenthetically.)

MGM and United Artists' PG-13 rated action adventure thriller Die Another Day, the 20th of the studio's Bond epics, led the five-day box office in its second week with an ESTIMATED $46.29 million at 3,324 theaters (+10 theaters; $13,924 per theater). Its cume is approximately $101.6 million. (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $31.0 million.)

Die's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release over the five day holiday period.

Directed by Lee Tamahori and produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, it stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.

The last Bond film, The World Is Not Enough, opened Nov. 19-21, 1999 to $35.52 million at 3,163 theaters ($11,230 per theater) and went on to gross $126.9 million in domestic theaters and $225.1 million in international theaters for a worldwide total of $352 million. Die continues to look like it should out-perform Enough.

"It's amazing for a Bond," MGM senior vice president, publicity Eric Kops said Sunday morning. "The record to $100 million for a Bond is something like 23 or 26 days (so it's terrific) to do it in 10 days. Everyone's ecstatic!"

Warner Bros.' PG rated sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets held on to second place in its third week with a still magical ESTIMATED $45.8 million at 3,682 theaters (theater count unchanged; $12,440 per theater). Its cume is approximately $200.2 million, reaching that milestone number in just 17 days. The first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, hit $200 million in 15 days. (Its ESTIMATED gross for three days is $32.17 million.)

Directed by Chris Columbus, it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

"It continues to be the first choice of all family moviegoers," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "It's playing to all demographics. It's consistent with the first Potter. The only difference is the better audience reactions. This enables us to gross extremely well throughout the balance of the holiday (season)."

Asked if he sees Secrets getting to $300 million in domestic theaters, Fellman replied, "I think we have a really good shot at it." The first in the series got to nearly $318 million domestically.

When Secrets opened there were those who doubted it would do much more than $200 million. What does Fellman say to them now? "Harry Potter continues to be a cultural phenomenon," he said. "Its audience base is obviously growing. They loved the first movie. They couldn't wait to see the second. They like the second better than the first. I think there's a tremendous anticipation already for number three (which opens) in June of 2004."