Narnia topples Harry Potter

2005-12-13 08:50

Los Angeles - Disney's rendering of the childhood classic The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, has ended Harry Potter's three-week box office reign, according to preliminary industry figures out on Sunday.

Narnia, a spiritually-infused allegory billed as the first in a series of movies based on CS Lewis's classic children's books, is expected to gross $67m in its domestic debut, according to Encino-based Exhibitor Relations Co.

Syriana, a political thriller about oil and intrigue in the Middle East starring George Clooney, opened in second place, grossing about $12m.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - the fourth and scariest instalment of JK Rowling's popular series about a boy wizard's coming of age - fell to third place, with $10.3m in box office receipts.

That haul boosts the film's North American revenue take to $244m since its debut one month ago, industry experts said.

A biopic about the life of country music legend Johnny Cash, Walk the Line, was fourth with $5.7m, while the family comedy Yours, Mine and Ours came in fifth place with $5.1m in ticket sales.

The science fiction film Aeon Flux, which opened to poor reviews, followed with $4.6m in earnings.

The romantic comedy Just Friends ranked seventh with $3.9m, while Pride and Prejudice - an adaptation of Jane Austen's 19th century novel - ranked eighth, earning $2.4m.

The top ten was rounded out with the animated comedy Chicken Little, which earned $2.2m, and the musical Rent which took in $2m.

- AFP