Alien vs. Predator Topples Tom Cruise

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday August 16, 2004 09:00 AM EDT

Tom Cruise got bumped from No. 1 at the box office over the weekend by the critically dismissed Alien vs. Predator, as the sci-fi smackdown pulled in $38.25 million, according to studio estimates.

The new Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews reprising their regal roles, came in No. 2 with $23 million, leaving Cruise and costar star Jamie Foxx's Collateral only in third place with $16 million.

The animated kid flick Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie, adapted from Japanese TV cartoon show, debuted at No. 4 with $9.4 million.

All told, it was a sluggish weekend for movie theaters. Some experts blamed the Olympics on TV. They also predicted that after its flashy opening, Alien vs. Predator would prove to be a flash in the pan.

The weekend's Top 10, according to studio estimates, are as follows:

1. Alien vs. Predator, $38.25 million
2. Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, $23 million
3. Collateral, $16 million
4. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie, $9.4 million
5. The Bourne Supremacy, $8.3 million
6. The Village, $7 million
7. The Manchurian Candidate, $6 million
8. Little Black Book, $3.7 million
9. I, Robot, $3.6 million
10. Spider-Man 2, $3.4 million