FINDING NEMO, the Disney/Pixar computer-animated smash, was back atop the box office chart, reeling in $28.3M in its third week. That puts it near the $200M plateau with $191.4M. The other animated opener, Paramount/Nickelodeon/Klasky Csupo's RUGRATS GO WILD, made an impressive debut in the fourth spot with $11.5M.
Meanwhile, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS plunged 63%, but still good enough for second place with $18.6M for a total of $83.5M. Crystal Dowd served as VFX producer and Collin Fowler was VFX coordinator for Illusion Arts. BRUCE ALMIGHTY, the God-induced comedy starring Jim Carrey, held onto third place with $14.2M and a cume of $193.8M. Sony/Revolution's HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE, starring Harrison Ford, with VFX from Sony Imageworks, debuted in fourth place with $11.1M. The third film making its debut, New Line's DUMB AND DUMBERER: WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD, grabbed the sixth spot with $10.8M. Charles Belardinelli and Thomas Bellissimo served as special effects coordinators.
Paramount's THE ITALIAN JOB slid to seventh place with $9.6M and a cume of $55.4M. Companies contributing VFX included Flash Film Works, yU + co, Frantic Films, Gray Matter FX and Digital Domain. Warner Bros.' MATRIX RELOADED dropped to number eight with $5.7 for a total of $257.4M. The visual effects feast included work from Amalgamated Pixels, Animal Logic, BUF, Bullet Time, CIS, CFX, ESC Entertainment, Giant Killer Robots, PLF Sony Pictures Imageworks and Tippett Studio. Sony/Revolutions' DADDY DAY CARE took care of the ninth spot with $2.2M and a $92.3M take. And holding down number 10 was Fox's X2-XMEN UNITED, with $1.7M for a cume of $207.3M. Contributing X2 VFX were Cinesite, EYETECH Optics, Frantic Films, Kleiser-Walczak Construction Co. and Rhythm & Hues. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
