Adam, Drew Score with '50 First Dates'

By Todd Peterson

Monday February 16, 2004 01:00 AM EST

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For Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore it was deja vu all over again. For the second time, the pair has teamed up for a box-office win, this time in the romantic comedy "50 First Dates," which raked in $41 million over the weekend.

The two previously starred together in the 1998 hit "The Wedding Singer," which opened during the Valentine's weekend of that year.

According to studio estimates, "50 First Dates" could be the second-best opening for a February film ever, behind 2001's "Hannibal." With many workers off Monday for President's Day, the picture's total revenues could climb higher, the Associated Press reports.

The teaming of Sandler, whose films are generally popular among young men, and "Charlie's Angels" alum Barrymore, a draw for young men and women, was no accident. "I think people were excited to see Adam and Drew paired up again," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution, which released the film. The movie did well among audiences 25 or older, which helped its box-office take.

Last week's top film, "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," was trimmed back to second place, losing about 40 percent of its audience following the sequel's opening weekend. The follow-up to the 2002 original stars Ice Cube, Queen Latifah and Cedric the Entertainer.

"Miracle," Disney's retelling of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team's stunning victory, finished in a strong third place, with the remaining top 10 draws looking much the same as the previous week.

Here's a list of the top 10 movies, as compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. "50 First Dates," $41 million
2. "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," $15.6 million
3. "Miracle," $14 million
4. "The Butterfly Effect," $5.7 million
5. "You Got Served," $5.1 million
6. "Along Came Polly," $5.08 million
7. "Catch That Kid," $4.35 million
8. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $4.15 million
9. "Cold Mountain," $3.7 million
10. "Mystic River," $3.55 million