Sandler topples Tom Cruise Mr Deeds overtakes Minority Report

Columbia Tristar's latest release Mr Deeds toppled the Tom Cruise starrer Minority Report from the top spot. A remake of Frank Capra and Gary Cooper's Mr Deeds Goes to Town, the Adam Sandler starrer (grossing $37.6 million) played well among his core audience of young males.

Minority Report slipped to the third place with $21.6 million, as Columbia's other release Lilo And Stitch (which opened $400,000 behind Minority Report last weekend) remained in the second spot with $22.2 million.

The top 12 films grossed $131.9 million, up 12 per cent over the same weekend last year. Film revenues are running more than 20 per cent ahead of last year, when Hollywood took in a record $8.4 billion. The July 4 holiday (the US Independence Day) is expected to give the film industry a boom time with the Will Smith starrer Men in Black II. The film, another Columbia release, will hit Indian screens on August 9.

'This weekend was excellent. But next weekend may be better as we expect record-breaking numbers with Men in Black II,' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

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In Mr Deeds, Sandler plays a good-hearted small-town guy who inherits $40 billion and winds up clashing with cynical city dwellers over his homespun values. Winona Ryder costars as Sandler's love interest. The film will release in India September 13.

Mr Deeds was on par with the two biggest hits Big Daddy ($41.5 million in its opening weekend), and The Waterboy ($39.4 million). Both films went on to top $160 million. Spider-Man, the year's top-grossing film, fell out of the top 10 in its ninth weekend, taking in $3 million. Its total has climbed to $395.7 million and should pass $400 million by July 4.