‘Black Hawk Down’ Posts New Victory in Theaters

Moviegoers remain on combat alert. The frenzied military thriller “Black Hawk Down” held the top spot at the box office for a second straight weekend, taking in $18.2 million.

The No. 2 slot shaped up as a photo finish between Cuba Gooding Jr.’s canine comedy “Snow Dogs” and pop singer Mandy Moore’s weepy teen romance “A Walk to Remember,” according to studio estimates Sunday.

Disney estimated “Snow Dogs” grossed $13.6 million its second weekend; Warner Bros. estimated “A Walk to Remember” premiered with $13.57 million.

“Mandy’s certainly been a star in the recording studio, and she’s now a real deal moving on to the big screen,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

Other top films were bunched up tightly, and their rankings could change when studios release final weekend figures today.

The Richard Gere supernatural thriller “The Mothman Prophecies” premiered at No. 4 with an estimated $11.8 million.

Fresh off its success at the Golden Globes a week ago, “A Beautiful Mind” held well at No. 5 with $11.7 million. “A Beautiful Mind” dominated the Globes with four awards, including best dramatic film, lead dramatic actor for Russell Crowe and supporting actress for Jennifer Connelly.

The latest remake of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” starring Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce, opened at No. 6, with $11.5 million.

“All these films are evenly splitting the audience,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

“Moviegoers are interested in all these films to some degree, and the demographics are just being split between all these movies.”

After a limited premiere in December to qualify for the Oscars, “I Am Sam” expanded to wider release and grossed $8.3 million, finishing at No. 7. Starring Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer, “I Am Sam” follows a mentally retarded man trying to win custody of his daughter.

“Lord of the Rings,” still at No. 8 despite being in theaters since Dec. 19, added another $8 million to its blockbuster haul. The weekend’s other wide premiere, the martial-arts spoof “Kung Pow: Enter the Fist,” opened at No. 9 with $7.3 million. And the teen comedy “Orange County,” which took in $4.6 million stayed in the top 10.

The top 12 movies grossed $115.3 million, up 56% from the same weekend a year ago, when the Super Bowl dampened theater attendance. Studios expect a similarly slow time during next weekend’s Super Bowl.

“I Am Sam” had the best per-theater take among the top 10 films, averaging $6,565 in 1,268 theaters, followed by “Black Hawk Down,” with a $5,869 average in 3,101 theaters.

“Black Hawk Down” director Ridley Scott’s intense rendering of a 1993 U.S. military raid gone awry in Somalia has grossed $60.1 million in 10 days of wide release after a narrow premiere in December for Oscar qualification.

In limited release, Italian director Nanni Moretti’s “The Son’s Room,” which won top honors at last spring’s Cannes Film Festival, premiered strongly with $45,000 in one theater.

Writer-director Todd Solondz’s black comedy “Storytelling” opened well in four New York City and Los Angeles theaters, taking in $82,000 for a $20,500 average. The film expands to more cities Feb. 8.