‘Santa’ gets a jump on holiday box office

Moviegoers eager for lighthearted family fare delivered Disney and Tim Allen an early Christmas present with an estimated $29 million for the opening weekend of “The Santa Clause 2.”

The sequel to the hit comedy that launched Allen’s movie career jump-started the holiday season, coming out nearly three weeks before Thanksgiving and almost two months before Christmas. It also gives Allen’s sagging career a boost, because his recent films “Big Trouble” and “Joe Somebody” bombed. The picture, which was released in 3,350 theaters, grossed an estimated $8,662 per location.

Chuck Viane, president of Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, said the studio released the film in early November to avoid overlapping with “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which is coming out in two weeks. “The Santa Clause,” which came out in 1994, was released over the Thanksgiving weekend. “The Santa Clause 2” probably cashed in on parents’ desire to see quality family films, Viane said.

Coming in at No. 2 was DreamWorks’ spooky “The Ring,” grossing an estimated $18.5 million, bringing its total to about $64.9 million. Sony Pictures’ TV-to-movie translation “I Spy” debuted at No. 3 with a disappointing $14 million on 3,182 screens. Even so, the Eddie Murphy-Owen Wilson vehicle grossed more in its first three days than the $4.4 million that Murphy’s last movie, “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” has taken in since it opened Oct. 3.

Last weekend’s top film, “Jackass: The Movie,” dropped 42% to No. 4, taking in an estimated $13.1 million over the weekend and a total of $42.5 million.

Warner Bros.’ “Ghost Ship,” continued to fail to scare up much business, also dropping 42% with an estimated gross of $6.6 million and a total of $21.3 million.

After 29 weeks in theaters, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” grossed an estimated $5.6 million in the No. 6 spot for a total of $185 million. No. 7’s “Sweet Home Alabama” dropped only 28%, romancing an estimated $4.6 million for a total of $113.5 million.

Expanding to 1,252 theaters, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love” came in at No. 8 with an estimated $4.2 million. The Sony-Revolution studios film has taken $11.5 million so far, rolling out slowly from an initial release in three cities. At No. 9 was Universal’s “Red Dragon,” which has failed to live up to expectations raised by its predecessors “Hannibal” and “The Silence of the Lambs.” It grossed an estimated $2.6 million, bringing its total to nearly $89 million in five weekends.

Rounding out the top 10 was Fox Searchlight’s romantic comedy “Brown Sugar,” which grossed an estimated $1.7 million. The film has brought in about $25 million so far.

Among films in limited release, Miramax’s “Frida” brought in a little more than $1 million in its second weekend, averaging $21,595 per location in 47 theaters. The Frida Kahlo biopic, directed by Julie Taymor, has brought in $1.3 million so far. MGM’s United Artists division has delivered an unexpected mini-hit with the Michael Moore documentary “Bowling for Columbine,” which grossed an estimated $1.65 million or $10,185 per theater in 162 locations. The movie, which takes sharp aim at America’s gun culture, has grossed $4.6 million so far.

This weekend’s box office was up 22% from last weekend but down from last year’s comparable period by 23%, with the current top 10 films grossing an estimated $100 million, compared with $123 million last year, when “Monsters, Inc.” opened with $62.6 million, according to Nielsen EDI Inc.