Dreamworks' HEAD OF STATE debuted in first place, taking in $14M. The Chris Rock comedy features VFX work by Toy Box, Pacific Title and Art, Moving Pictures and Big Film Design, which did the Mt. Rushmore effect. BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE was brought down to second place, earning $12.5M for a $100M cume. Paramount's sci-fi thriller THE CORE debuted in third place with $12.4M, with effects from Cinesite, ComputerCafé, CREO, Rising Sun Pictures, Frantic films, Hammerhead Prods., New Deal Studios, Image Savant and 3D Site. Sony/Intermedia's military-themed thriller, BASIC, opened in fourth with $12.1M, with VFX done by Pixel Magic. CHICAGO, with visual effects by Toy Box and Film Effects Inc., moved into its 14th week of release and up to fifth place, taking in $7.4M to bring its total to $144.8M. Warner Bros.' DREAMCATCHER dropped to sixth place with $6.3M and a $25.3 cume. ILM did primary effects with additional work done by XFX Inc. and Pacific Title. AGENT CODY BANKS, with VFX by Pixel Magic and Eyetronics, came in at seventh with $6.1M for a total of $34.8M. Disney's PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE edged down to eighth place in its second week of release for $4.6M and a $12.4M cume. VIEW FROM THE TOP, with VFX from MetroLight Studios, came in at ninth with $3.8M for a total of $12.5M, closely followed by THE HUNTED (VFX supervisor was Eric Brevig, ILM did primary effects), in tenth place with $3.7M and a total of $29.2M. Disney re-released the Oscar-winning SPRITED AWAY to 707 theaters to bring in $1.6M for a total of $7.2M in limited release in the U.S. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
