Star Wars dethroned

2005-06-07 14:23

Los Angeles - The animated animals of Madagascar knocked the wookies and lightsabres of Star Wars out of the prized top spot at the North American box office, final figures showed on Monday.

In South Africa Star Wars slipped to second spot, making way for Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac's comedy Guess Who.

DreamWorks' Madagascar, which opened last weekend in the United States in second place, shot into the top spot, dethroning the blockbuster Star War: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith which had held the position for two weeks.

Madagascar notched up $28.1m in ticket receipts at the weekend, boosting its domestic take in two weeks to $100.3m, according to box office trackers Exhibitor Relations Co Inc.

The remake of football film The Longest Yard - starring US funnymen Adam Sandler and Chris Rock - moved from third place to second, earning $26m.

The film tells the story of inmates and prison guards pitted against each other in an American football prison game.

The sixth and final instalment in George Lucas's classic sci-fi space movies took third place and a total of $25m in the United States and Canada.

The movie's North American earnings in the three weeks of its release now stands at a massive $307.8m.

- AFP