‘Air Force One’ Able to Fly a Little Higher Than ‘Spawn’

Presidential heroics beat the devil’s own in the weekend box-office battle as “Air Force One” topped “Spawn” for the No. 1 spot.

“Air Force One” had $26.2 million in ticket sales to top the list for a second week, while “Spawn”--based on a popular comic book about a battle between two creatures sent from hell to rule Earth--opened with $21.5 million in ticket sales, according to Sunday estimates.

“Air Force One” stars Harrison Ford as a chief executive who outwits a plane full of terrorists. It remains to be seen whether the film will break the summer cycle in which one special-effects-filled blockbuster has eclipsed another.

The film has grossed $81.2 million, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Its weekend take was the biggest ever for an August weekend, topping the $23.7 million that another Ford thriller, “The Fugitive,” earned in 1993.

“It shows that Harrison Ford is really one of the top-shelf people in opening films,” said Dave Davis, an entertainment analyst with the investment bank Houlihan, Lokey, Howard and Zukin.

Davis predicted that the film eventually will gross between $175 million and $200 million, which would put it close to “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” The dinosaur sequel has made more than $220 million in less than three months.

Meanwhile, New Line Cinema took a chance on “Spawn” by opening it in 2,536 theaters, the studio’s third-largest debut ever.

“We are elated it screened so well and people loved it so much,” said Mitchell Goldman, president of marketing and distribution at New Line. “It is a pretty amazing performance considering the other summer movies and their opening weekends.”

“George of the Jungle” dropped to third with $8.4 million and “Men in Black” earned $8 million over the weekend for No. 4, giving it a total gross of $208.1 million.

“Picture Perfect,” a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, debuted at No. 5 and earned $7.5 million in 1,705 theaters.

Two other films debuted in wide release over the weekend. “Air Bud,” a children’s comedy about a basketball-playing dog, was No. 7 with $4.7 million. Samuel Jackson’s classroom drama “187,” which opened Wednesday and is about an embattled school teacher, earned $2.1 million but finished out of the top 10.

“Face/Off,” in ninth place, earned $3.8 million and has grossed $102.7 million.

“Good Burger” followed with $3.6 million.

Julia Roberts’ “My Best Friend’s Wedding” dropped out of the top 10 but grossed $3.1 million to give it about $109 million in seven weeks.

Final figures are to be released today.