HOLLYWOOD - Moviegoers were in the mood to hunt for a little Treasure this weekend at the box office.The action adventure National Treasure, a Jerry Bruckheimer production starring Nicolas Cage as a treasure hunter who finds out there's a map to riches on the back of the Declaration of Independence, debuted at No. 1 with a sparkling $35.2 million, knocking reigning champ The Incredibles down to third. The sudsy animated kid flick The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie opened in a close second with $33.5 million.
This weekend, the Top 12 films grossed an estimated $144.8 million, up 7.87 percent from last weekend's $134.2 million take and up 14.91 percent from last year's draw of $126 million.
The top three films at the box office this time last year were: Universal's PG-rated Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, which opened at the No. 1 spot with $38.2 million in 3,464 theaters, averaging $11,065 per theater; Warner Bros.' R-rated Gothika, which debuted in second place with $19.2 million in 2,382 theaters, averaging $8,098 per theater; and New Line's PG-rated Elf, which dropped to third place in its third week with $18.7 million in 3,381 theaters, averaging $5,536 per theater.
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES:
(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: National Treasure (Buena Vista, PG)
• Gross: $35.2 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,017
• Per-theater average: $11,700
No. 2: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Paramount Pictures, PG)
• Gross: $33.5 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,212
• Per-theater average: $10,430
No. 3: The Incredibles (Buena Vista/Pixar, PG)
• Gross: $26.7 million (-47%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 3,683 (-250)
• Per-theater average: $7,274
• Cume to date: $177.8 million
No. 4: The Polar Express (Warners Bros., G)
• Gross: $15.2 million (-35%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 3,650 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $4,168
• Cume to date: $51 million
No. 5: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Universal, R)
• Gross: $10.1 million (+16%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 1,920
• Per-theater average: $4,122
• Cume to date: $21.6 million
No. 6: After the Sunset (New Line, PG-13)
• Gross: $5.2 million (-52%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,819 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $1,871
• Cume to date: $19.2 million
No. 7: Ray (Universal, PG-13)
• Gross: $4.6 million (-45%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 2,027 (-447)
• Per-theater average: $2,269
• Cume to date: $59.2 million
No. 8: The Grudge (Sony, PG-13)
• Gross: $3.8 million (-46%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,112 (-704)
• Per-theater average: $1,799
• Cume to date: $104.4 million
No. 9: Seed of Chucky (Rogue Pictures, R)
• Gross: $3.1 million (-64%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,062 (+3)
• Per-theater average: $1,521
• Cume to date: $13.3 million
No. 10: Saw (Lions Gate, R)
• Gross: $3 million (-53%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 1,679 (-788)
• Per-theater average: $1,787
• Cume to date: $50.5 million
OTHER OPENINGS
Bad Education (Sony Pictures Classic, R)
• Gross: $147,366 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3
• Per-theater average: $49,122