With live-action films MEET THE PARENTS and REMEMBER THE TITANS reclaiming their first and second spots respectively, the debut of New Line’s LOST SOULS only managed to place third. The anti-Christ adventure, with primary visual effects by Cinesite, grossed US$7.95 million. The reissue of THE EXORCIST slipped to sixth with a gross of $5.24 million. The horror classic, with digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, has scared up $30.53 million thus far. When the dust cleared, ALMOST FAMOUS edged out live-action mockumentary, BEST IN SHOW, to claim ninth place, grossing $2.19 million.

With Denzel Washington’s football flick, REMEMBER THE TITANS, firmly taking the top spot, the reissue of THE EXORCIST repossessed second place. The classic horror flick, with digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, scared up another US$7.21 million, levitating its cume to $17.67 million. Taking third for the second straight week was ALMOST FAMOUS, with a gross of $5.57 million. The rock ‘n roll romp, with primary visual effects by Manex and Pacific Title Digital, raised its cume to $17.83 million.

Like in the U.S., WHAT LIES BENEATH is showing its legs at the international box office, while HOLLOW MAN is fading fast. In its German debut last week, WHAT LIES captured US$3.46 million. FINAL DESTINATION crashed to second, with a gross of $2.6 million, lifting its German cume to $5.01 million. LITTLE VAMPIRE in its German premiere week brought home $969,183. In fifth, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS gobbled up another $878,918, lifting its German cume to $1.8 million. X-MEN materialized in seventh, grossing $683,497 thus raising its German cume to $11.56 million.

MORTAL KOMBAT director Paul Anderson will direct, produce and scribe the live-action feature adaptation of the popular RESIDENT EVIL video game franchise. Constantin Films AG will produce the film and handle international distribution. Anderson and his production partner Jeremy Bolt’s Impact Pictures will handle the North American distribution. Along with Anderson, Bolt and Constantin Films AG’s CEO Bernd Eichinger will produce the picture. Filming has a start date of January in London.

Disney vice chairman Roy Disney has shut down production on the CGI feature WILD LIFE. According to the online magazine INSIDE, Disney decided to bail on the film because it had "an inappropriate adult sensibility" for a Disney animated feature, "sexual innuendo" and a "gay-friendly" tone. Reportedly the film had already eaten through US$20 million, spurring Disney chairman Michael Eisner to request reviews of every project in development.

With premieres in the U.K. and France, HOLLOW MAN emptied the pockets of moviegoers world wide in this week’s international box office. In the U.K., the updated Invisible Man tale scared up US$2.4 million at #1. SCARY MOVIE slipped from second to third, with a gross of $1.08 million, lifting its British cume to $12.5 million. In 5th place, SNATCH grabbed $735,482, raising its British cume to $16.12 million. SPACE COWBOYS floated in at #6, grossing $497,398 and bringing its British cume to $1.67 million.

HOLLOW MAN holds on as WHAT LIES BENEATH makes top notched debuts in France and Brazil. The Harrison Ford starrer scared up US$3.26 million in its French premiere. SPACE COWBOYS fell to second with a gross of $1.51 million, escalating its French cume to $3.56 million. Falling from second to finish in fourth, GONE IN 60 SECONDS raced in with $1.28 million, advancing its French cume to $13.31 million. Slipping one to sixth, U-571 surfaced another $706,419, lifting its French cume to $1.83 million.

URBAN LEGEND II: FINAL CUT just edged out the impressive release of the director’s cut of THE EXORCIST to claim the top spot at the U.S. box office. The teen terror sequel, with primary visual effects by Pacific Title Digital, scared up US$8.51 million. The horror classic, THE EXORCIST, with some creepy new stop-motion animation and digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, made an amazing $8.18 million on only 664 screens. Adding 1,062 screens to last weeks’ 131, ALMOST FAMOUS jumped up to third with a gross of $6.93 million.

A British spec script about two rival gangs of gnome neighbours has been put on the fast track in Hollywood. The trade paper SCREEN INTERNATIONAL reports A GNOME'S STORY, written by Rob Sprackling and John Smith, has been acquired by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Rocket Pictures, the production outfit owned by pop star Elton John and David Furnish. The big-budget project "may use TOY STORY-esque digital effects." Disney has a first-look pact with Rocket, and is funding development on GNOME'S STORY.

PI director Darren Aronofsky is set to helm the newest in Warner Bros.’ BATMAN franchise, BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Aronofsky will write and develop the screenplay with Frank Miller, writer of the graphic novel BATMAN: YO from which the film will be based. The noir-styled graphic novel was originally published by DC Comics in 1987 and chronicles the trials and tribulations of Bruce Wayne’s first year as Batman. Aronofsky as director is an interesting direction for Warner to take with the BATMAN movie franchise.