Paramount's PG-13 rated sci-fi franchise episode Star Trek: Nemesis, which insiders had expected to see orbiting atop the chart, opened a close number two with an ESTIMATED $18.75 million at 2,711 theaters ($6,916 per theater).
Directed by Stuart Baird it stars Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton and Michael Dorn.
The series' previous episode, Star Trek: Insurrection, blasted off the weekend of Dec. 11 to 13, 1998 in first place to $22.05 million at 2,620 theaters ($8,417 per theater). It grossed about $70 million in domestic theaters.
"Obviously, we would have liked to have had a little more opening (gross)," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "But the picture plays very well. We know that from our research screenings. And we've got the holidays in front of us. The biggest Star Trek ever was number four, which did like $110 million and it only opened to $17 million."
Twentieth Century Fox's PG-13 rated urban appeal hip-hop comedy drama Drumline took the field in third place to a surprisingly strong ESTIMATED $13.05 million at 1,833 theaters ($7,119 per theater).
Drumline's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Charles Stone III, it stars Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones.
"It went up 30 percent from Friday to Saturday, which was the biggest bump of any of these first-weekers and that's a pretty good bump for a first weekend," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning. "We did a lot of matinee business Saturday and it's terrific. It's a great start and I think we're going to have a hell of a run right through the holidays."
In terms of opening weekend demographics, Snyder noted, "It was 60-40 African-Americans and non-African-Americans. That 40 percent is a pretty high place to start (in terms of crossover audience). So it's very encouraging. It's very high (crossover) for a first weekend. Usually, that doesn't happen until the third or fourth weekend on these primarily African-American movies. And 60 percent were under 25, so it's playing young."
As for why it's doing so well, Snyder pointed out, "From the CinemaScores, people loved it. It got straight A-pluses. The material grabbed people. The hip-hop element plays to all kids. And I think it's now in the culture. It's a little bit of everything -- music, dance, comedy, drama. It's fun.
"It looks like the theater count was pretty right. And it's where it belonged -- before Christmas. I think it's going to be great for all young people right on through the holidays."