Mission To Mars Topples To #2

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgWith live-action film ERIN BROCKOVICH "busting" into first, Buena Vista's MISSION TO MARS toppled to #2 at the U.S. box office. The space mish mesh, with primary special effects by ILM and Dream Quest Images, garnered another US$11.39 million blasting its total gross to $40.6 million. The new teen horror flick, FINAL DESTINATION, crash landed at #3. The New Line fright fest grossed $10.02 million in its first week in theatres. Roman Polanski's devilish new NINTH GATE, with primary special effects by Sony Imageworks and Mikros Image, fell to fifth place grossing $3.53 million bringing its two week total to $12.5 million. Riding high on its Oscar buzz, AMERICAN BEAUTY took its space at #7 grossing $3.16 million and raising its total paycheck to $103 million. Kids and parents went back to theatres this past weekend keeping SNOW DAY at #9 and springing THE TIGGER MOVIE back to #10. The holiday season left-over, SNOW DAY, with special effects by Curious Pictures, grossed another $2.21 million rolling its cume to a surprising $56.4 million. The caffinated cat from Disney added another $1.77 million to the honey jar, raising its cume to $41.6 million. The yo-yo throwing flamingos and flying whales of FANTASIA/2000 saw a 6% gain in ticket sales over the weekend. The Imax spectacle grossed $1.55 million flying its total cash to $33.7 million. USA Films' PITCH BLACK plummeted once again to #14. The sci-fi flick, with primary visual effects by Double Negative Ltd. and The Chandler Group, grossed $1.45 million bringing its total to $36.5 million. Also seizing a resurgence from Oscar fever, THE SIXTH SENSE brought home another $1.28 million bringing its total gross to $288.5 million. The sleeper sensation from Buena Vista has now moved ahead of the sleeper sensation of 1990, HOME ALONE, to become the 11th highest grossing film in U.S. box office history. With more chances of finding an Oscar in a dumpster than at the ceremony, THE GREEN MILE moved up one spot to #21. Warner Bros.' prison pic, with primary visual effects by ILM, Rhythm & Hues, POP and Matte World Digital, made $600,000 bringing its cume to $134.4 million. Other special effects laden or animation films finishing in the top thirty were: STUART LITTLE at #24, with a gross of $510,000 and a cume of $138.3 million; SLEEPY HOLLOW at #27, with a gross of $400,000 and a cume of $99.9 million; TOY STORY 2 at #29, with a gross of $310,000 and a cume of $241.9 million; and WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? at #30, with a gross of $240,000 and a cume of $6.2 million.