‘Rounders,’ ‘Birch’ Open With Flourish

The Matt Damon-Edward Norton drama “Rounders” grabbed the No. 1 spot in its first weekend with $8.5 million. However, the heart-tugger “Simon Birch” scored the highest per-screen average in its opening weekend with $5,573 for a three-day total of $3.3 million on just 596 screens. The film will expand to about 900 theaters on Friday.

Last week’s box-office champ, “There’s Something About Mary,” still has legs in its ninth week, grossing $7 million for a cumulative total of $139.2 million.

* In limited release, the re-edited version of Orson Welles’ 1958 classic “Touch of Evil” pulled in $70,725 on just three screens. Robert Towne’s well received biopic “Without Limits” raced to $56,180 on five screens. However, “Let’s Talk About Sex” failed to ignite, taking in only $213,347 on 258 screens.

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Weekend Box Office

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Rounders” $8.5 2,176 1 (Miramax) $8.5 $3,887 2. “Something About Mary” $7.0 2,555 9 (Fox) $139.2 $2,721 3. “Blade” $5.2 2,389 4 (New Line) $56.4 $2,173 4. “Saving Private Ryan” $4.6 2,705 8 (DreamWorks) $173.1 $1,665 5. “Simon Birch” $3.3 596 1 (Hollywood) $3.3 $5,573 6. “Ever After” $2.4 1,913 7 (Fox) $57.2 $1,200 7. “Knock Off” $1.9 1,800 2 (Sony/TriStar) $8.3 $1,086 8. “Snake Eyes” $1.6 1,681 6 (Paramount) $52.5 $942 “Armageddon” $1.6 1,334 11 (Touchstone) $194.1 $1,185 10. “How Stella Got Groove Back” $1.5 1,275 5 (Fox) $34.0 $1,164 * “Without Limits” $56,180 5 1 (Warner Bros.) $56,180 $11,236 * “Let’s Talk About Sex” $213,347 258 1 (Fine Line) $213,347 $826 * “Touch of Evil” $70,725 3 1 (October) $70,725 $23,575

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.