'National Treasure' buries movie competition
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-22 11:35

Oscar award winner Nicolas Cage, who has not had a hit movie in years, ended the two-week reign of "The Incredibles" at the North American box office on Sunday with his new family adventure "National Treasure."

Nicolas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates in "National Treasure."

According to studio estimates, "National Treasure" sold $35.3 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada in the three days beginning Friday, enjoying a narrow lead over kids animated TV favorite "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," which opened with $33.5 million.

"The Incredibles," a cartoon revolving around a family of superheroes, slipped to No. 3 with $26.8 million, taking its total to $177.8 million after three weekends.

"The Polar Express," a holiday fable featuring a computer-animated Tom Hanks as the train conductor, fell two places to No. 4 with $15.2 million, taking its total to $51 million after 12 days. The film cost a reported $270 million to make and market, prompting much speculation about its chances of turning a profit.

"Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," starring Renee Zellweger as a hapless "singleton," held steady at No. 5 with $10.1 million after expanding nationally in its second weekend. The film's total stands at $21.6 million.

1. "National Treasure," $35.3 million 2. "SpongeBob SquarePants," $33.5 million 3. "The Incredibles," $26.8 million 4. "The Polar Express," $15.2 million 5. "Bridget Jones," $10.1 million 6. "After the Sunset," $5.3 million 7. "Ray," $4.6 million 8. "The Grudge," $3.8 million 9. "Seed of Chucky," $3.1 million 10. "Saw," $3.0 million

"National Treasure," from prolific Jerry Bruckheimer, revolves around a treasure-seeker hunting for a secret war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. It was released through Walt Disney Co.'s family-oriented Walt Disney Pictures label, which also released the Pixar Animation Studios Inc.-produced "The Incredibles."

The opening marks the best score for a Cage-Bruckheimer collaboration, beating the $25.3 million start for "Gone in Sixty Seconds" in 2000. Since then, Cage, who won an Oscar in 1996 for "Leaving Las Vegas," has worked in such under-performers as "Windtalkers" and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin."

"The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," based on the hit Nickelodeon series about the antics of a lively sponge and his deep-sea pals, was produced by the cable channel's movie arm and released through Paramount Pictures. Both are owned by Viacom Inc.

"The Polar Express" was released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc, the parent company of CNN. "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co.-controlled NBC Universal.

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