Vampire flick slays the box office competition

The dark thriller “Underworld” was an overachiever at the box office this weekend, premiering with an impressive $22 million, according to studio estimates. The vampires vs. werewolves flick, starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, prevailed despite an R rating that kept some drooling teenage boys from seeing the film. But its “Matrix”-style action scenes definitely did the trick with young adults who met the age requirement.

Second place went to the new Cuba Gooding Jr. comedy “The Fighting Temptations,” which debuted with $13.2 million. Costar Beyoncé Knowles certainly added to the drawing power of the film, which received mixed reviews. And another new entry, the “Secondhand Lions,” opened in third place with $12.9 million, thanks to its family-friendly tone and star-studded cast featuring Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Haley Joel Osment.

Last week’s top film, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” dropped 51 percent to $11.5 million, bringing its 10-day total to $41.4 million. And the new Dennis Quaid/Sharon Stone thriller “Cold Creek Manor” managed a fifth-place debut with $8.3 million.

The loser of the week was Woody Allen’s latest effort, “Anything Else,” starring Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci, which opened in 13th place with $1.7 million, earning only about $1,600 per theater. But Bill Murray’s critically-acclaimed comedy “Lost in Translation,” cracked the top 10 despite playing in only about 150 theaters. Nonetheless, it grossed $2.8 million, and should stick around in the top 10 for a good while.