It’s ‘Rush Hour’ at the Box Office

“Rush Hour 2” led a record-breaking rush to the box office over the weekend, grossing an estimated $66.8 million and teaming with “Planet of the Apes” and “The Princess Diaries” to form a triumvirate that helped set a new standard for three-day non-holiday weekends.

According to box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, the top 12 films grossed an estimated $163.8 million over the weekend--the second-largest three-day take ever, after Thanksgiving 2000, when “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” led the way.

If the weekend’s numbers hold, they will represent an increase of 14% from last weekend and put the weekend 38.5% ahead of the comparable one last year. That would bring the summer to a blazing $2.25 billion with a month to go.

For the third consecutive weekend, a new film grossed more than $50 million, with the past two leaders each opening above the $65-million mark. This weekend’s new arrival, “Rush Hour 2,” starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, opened in 3,118 theaters and doubled the debut of the 1998 original, which eventually grossed $141 million.

This is not only the biggest August opening ever (well above “The Sixth Sense’s” $26.7 million), it’s New Line Cinema’s personal best, supplanting “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” which held the record for the best debut by any comedy with $54.9 million.

Anticipation for the sequel had been very high, and critics--while less than ecstatic--credited the Chan/Tucker chemistry with holding it all together. The audience was fairly evenly divided, with younger males taking a slight edge, according to New Line marketing head Russell Schwartz.

But the Friday-to-Saturday increase indicates that the film also plays as a date-night movie, and exit scores were A or A-minus across the board. With all the good news comes the probability that the comedy will take a fall next weekend as “American Pie 2” steals away the younger demographic for some R-rated raunch.

Given the manic-depressive attendance pattern of first-weekend highs and second-weekend lows, the major studios could use a mood stabilizer this summer. Those second-weekend drops are often as impressive--though not in a good way--as the first weekend’s receipts.

“Planet of the Apes” slid about 58% after scoring a $68.5-million debut and a first-week total of more than $96 million. The second weekend brought Tim Burton’s interplanetary adventure closer to Earth with an estimated $28.5 million, bringing the 10-day total to nearly $125 million and making it the 10th film this year to surpass $100 million. Third-weekend results will be crucial, indicating “Planet’s” true staying power and audience satisfaction level.

“The Princess Diaries,” starring Julie Andrews and newcomer Anne Hathaway, showed signs of developing into a major summer sleeper and demonstrated that G-rated fare can play in the big leagues, with a regal first-weekend estimate of $23.2 million in 2,537 theaters. According to Disney distribution executive Chuck Viane, almost half the audience was younger than 17, and half of them were teenagers, who normally look down on G-rated movies. Of course, 65% of the audience was female, and on the way out their reaction was 91% favorable.

It’s a welcome surprise for Disney’s live-action family film division after its animated feature, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” didn’t live up to expectations earlier in the summer.

The third-weekend drop-offs for “Jurassic Park III” and “America’s Sweethearts” stayed below 50%, with “JP3” falling to $12.1 million for a three-week total approaching $150 million. “America’s Sweethearts” dropped to an estimated $8.4 million and a three-week take of about $75 million.

The melodrama “Original Sin,” starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie, had little oomph in its arrival on 2,194 theaters, with a $6.4-million estimate. But MGM’s other current release, “Legally Blonde,” continues to thrive, dropping only 32% in its fourth weekend, expecting a lively $6 million and nearly $72 million so far.

“Princess Diaries,” “America’s Sweethearts” and “Legally Blonde” sold almost $40 million in tickets over the weekend, proving that girls do want to have fun at the movies, despite persistent industry complaints of how hard it is to sell to the female audience.

“The Score” is also holding its own in its fourth weekend, with an estimated $5 million and a total of $57 million to date. “Cats & Dogs” is making its likely final appearance in the top 10 with $2.2 million in its fifth weekend and nearly $87 million to date. It is virtually tied with “The Fast and the Furious,” which is on its last quarter-mile with $2.2 million and $137 million to date.

A new and enhanced version of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” arrived on two big-city screens over the weekend for a big $96,000 gross, especially good considering the film’s almost three-hour length, allowing only one evening show.

The transgender rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” expanded to 46 theaters, grossing $295,000 and $742,614 to date. “Ghost World” also fanned out to 23 theaters, scaring up $352,000 and $750,000 so far. And the comedy “Made,” featuring “Swingers” stars Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, grossed $615,000 on 117 screens for $2.3 million to date.

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Weekend Box Office 1. “Rush Hour 2” $66.8*

2. “Planet of the Apes $28.5

3. “The Princess Diaries”$23.2

4. “Jurassic Park III $12.1

5. “America’s Sweethearts” $8.4

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* Total in millions of dollars