Moviegoers Head Back into the Dark

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/01/2001 at 08:19 AM EDT

People returned to the movies this weekend, and the movies they saw, for the most part, were the latest releases. "Don't Say a Word" (starring Michael Douglas), "Zoolander" (Ben Stiller) and "Hearts in Atlantis" (Anthony Hopkins) took in a combined estimated total of more than $43 million, a pretty good pull for fall. (Critics had been cool to all three movies.) The weekend's receipts were up 26% over the same weekend last year and 52% over the previous weekend, according to reports. Also worth noting is the promotion by several movie chains last Tuesday, when they donated every box-office dollar that day to charities aiding relief operations related to the Sept. 11 attack. The day's receipts for all theaters was $5.1 million, roughly $2 million higher than either the day before or after, reports the Associated Press. This weekend's Top 10, according to studio estimates:

1. "Don't Say a Word," $18 million
2. "Zoolander," $15.7 million
3. "Hearts in Atlantis," $9.5 million
4. "Hardball," $5.2 million
5. "The Others," $5.1 million
6. "Rush Hour 2," $2.7 million
7. "The Glass House," $2.1 million
8. "Rat Race," $1.8 million
9. "The Musketeer," $1.7 million
10. "Two Can Play that Game," $1.6 million