‘Underworld’ bares its fangs

The vampires and werewolves of “Underworld” fought to the top of the box office with the thriller grossing an estimated $22 million over the weekend. Pop singer Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr.’s feel-good musical-dramedy, “The Fighting Temptations,” was a distant second with $13.2 million.

Moving into the top 10 as it expanded to 183 locations in its second weekend, Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” maintained a healthy per-theater average of $15,337, according to studio estimates, for a weekend total of $2.8 million.

With the arrival of four new wide releases, fall has begun to look nearly as crowded and competitive as summer, with last week’s top film, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” dropping 51% to the No. 4 spot with an estimated gross of $11.5 million.

But “Lost in Translation,” which debuted last week in just 23 theaters, continued to post strong numbers. The contemporary drama stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as two listless insomniacs at a Tokyo hotel. Focus Features will increase the number of theaters to nearly 400 this coming weekend.

While “Lost in Translation” scored big among boomers, the younger set turned out to see “Underworld.”

Sony’s genre division Screen Gems heavily marketed the film to action fans and followers of vampire and werewolf fiction, emphasizing the Internet and cable TV.

While “Underworld” explored a world of darkness, Paramount/MTV Films’ “The Fighting Temptations” focused on the spiritual. The film played to a largely African American crowd, with 80% of the audience black and 60% female. Among other openings, Disney’s “Cold Creek Manor” grossed an estimated $8.3 million, the largest opening ever for a film directed by Mike Figgis, associated until now with smaller or independent films such as “Time Code” and “Leaving Las Vegas.” New Line Cinema’s “Secondhand Lions” grossed an estimated $12.8 million. The film stars Michael Caine, Robert Duvall and Haley Joel Osment.

Woody Allen’s “Anything Else” opened to meager box office with an estimated gross of $1.7 million, or $1,645 per theater in 1,033 locations. Samuel Goldwyn Films’ gay-themed comedy-drama “Mambo Italiano” grossed $851,730 on 178 screens for an OK average of $4,785. Director John Sayles’ “Casa De Los Babys” opened with an estimated $37,376 in nine theaters, IFC Films reported.

Universal’s limited pre-DVD re-release through specialty unit Focus Features of Al Pacino’s classic gangster saga “Scarface” grossed $268,273 in 13 locations for a healthy per-theater average of $17,692. Sony Pictures Classics’ “Winged Migration,” meanwhile, reached $10.4 million and is now the second-highest grossing nonconcert documentary behind Michael Moore’s 2002 hit, “Bowling for Columbine.”

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Box Office

Preliminary results based on studio projections.

*--* Movie 3-day gross Total (mill) Underworld $22 $22 Fighting Temptations 13.2 13.2 Secondhand Lions 12.9 12.9 Once Upon a Time Mex 11.5 41.4 Cold Creek Manor 8.3 8.3 Matchstick Men 7.8 24.5 Cabin Fever 4.0 14.8 Dickie Roberts: Frmr Chld Star 3.8 17.3 Pirates of the Carib 3.5 293 Lost in Translation 2.8 4.1

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Source: Nielsen EDI Inc.