Three new releases took the top three spots at this weekend's box office. Number one was the live-action comedy SCOOBY DOO, featuring an all CGI Scooby courtesy of Rhythm & Hues and Warner Bros. Feature Animation. The Mystery Inc. crew debuted with $56.4M, making SCOOBY DOO the third highest grossing debut this year, after EPISODE II and SPIDER-MAN. In second place was the thriller THE BOURNE IDENTITY with a strong $27.6 debut. In third was the John Woo-helmed World War II pic WINDTALKERS, with visual effects by Cinesite, earning $14.5M for the weekend. Last week's number one, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, with visual effects by Rhythm & Hues, was fourth, with $13.5M and $81.5 after three weeks. STAR WARS: EPISODE II, with visual effects by ILM, found itself in sixth place with $9.2M and a cume of $270.5M, while SPIDER-MAN, with visual effects by Sony Imageworks, fell to seventh, earning $7.2M with $382.4M to date. In ninth place, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON lassoed $5.5M in its fourth weekend in theaters, for a total of $63.8M. Disney's 2D animated feature LILO AND STITCH debuts next weekend, which is likely to knock the "tradigital" SPIRIT down a few notches. Crime fighting comedy UNDERCOVER BROTHER rounded out the top ten, with $4.6M for a three-week cume of $31.5M. Box office information obtained from yahoo.com.
We've all been waiting to see Yoda in a light saber duel and STAR WARS EPISODE II does not miss the mark. Bill Desowitz speaks with ILM on how they created Yoda in CGI and brought him to action.
