LOS ANGELES (AP):
THE EPIC battle tale Kingdom of Heaven fought its way to the top of the box office, taking in US$20 million in its debut weekend.
The film, by Gladiator director Ridley Scott, features heartthrob Orlando Bloom as a warrior in Jerusalem between the Second and Third Crusades. The R-rated movie was followed in the rankings by another new R-rated movie, House of Wax, which brought in US$12.2 million, according to studio estimates yesterday.
Kingdom of Heaven features Bloom as blacksmith-turned-warrior Balian who joins his knightly father in Jerusalem. The film also features Liam Neeson as Balian's father, the knight Godfrey of Ibelin, as well as Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson.
The other notable new movie this weekend was Crash, which features Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and rapper Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges in intertwining stories examining racial stereotypes in Los Angeles. The R-rated film finished fourth with US$9.1 million.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy dropped to third place with nearly US$9.13 million after debuting last weekend at the top spot.
Listings
1. Kingdom of Heaven, US$20m
2. House of Wax, US$12.2m .
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, US$9.1m
4. Crash, US$9.1m
5. The Interpreter, US$7.5m
6: XXX: State of the Union, US$5.4m
7. The Amityville Horror, US$3.2m
8. Sahara, US$3.1m
9. A Lot Like Love, US$3m
10. Fever Pitch, US$2m
