LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) — Hollywood icon Al Pacino and Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell enlisted millions of moviegoers for their new spy thriller “The Recruit,” which topped the North American box office Sunday.
The movie, the first No. 1 from Walt Disney Co. since “The Santa Clause 2” three months ago, grossed $16.5 million in its first three days.
New releases also took the No. 2 and 3 spots, while last weekend’s champion, the thriller “Darkness Falls,” fell to No. 5 with $7.5 million.
The slasher flick “Final Destination 2” opened at No. 2 with $16.2 million, followed by the motorbike drama “Biker Boyz” with $10.1 million. The family crime caper “Kangaroo Jack” slipped two places to No. 4 with $9 million.
“The Recruit” stars Pacino as a CIA recruiter and Farrell as one of his students at the agency’s training facility. Bridget Moynahan plays Farrell’s love interest.
Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said the film offered plenty of “twists and turns,” while Farrell “proved he has the right stuff.”
Farrell, a 26-year-old Dublin native, previously starred in the little-seen war movie “Tigerland” and last year’s Tom Cruise vehicle “Minority Report.” He is now keeping the gossip pages busy with tales of his romantic escapades.
For Pacino, 62, his last No. 1 movie was the football drama “Any Given Sunday” in December 1999.
“Final Destination 2” beat the $10 million bow of the 2000 original. Considerably more graphic, with decapitations, gougings, skull piercings and amputations, the film pits a woman with special gifts (A.J. Cook) against the Grim Reaper. It rated strongest among viewers aged 21 to 34.
“Biker Boyz” revolves around a collection of motorcycle clubs in Los Angeles and a climactic race between stars Laurence Fishburne and Derek Luke. Rock star Kid Rock adds some fuel to the ensemble. Privately-held DreamWorks SKG released the film.
After three weeks, “Kangaroo Jack” hopped to $45.9 million and should end up with about $75 million, said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at Warner Bros., also a unit of AOL Time Warner. It was budgeted at about $60 million.
“Darkness Falls,” revolving around an old ghoul dubbed the Tooth Fairy, advanced to $22.3 million after 10 days. Its distributor, Columbia Pictures, is a unit of Sony Corp. The film cost $11 million to make.
Among new limited-releases, the romantic New Age satire “The Guru” enchanted a promising $648,000 from just 62 theaters in the top 10 markets. Universal Pictures, a unit of Vivendi Universal SA, released the low-budget film, which stars English actor Jimi Mistry, Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei.
In the milestone department, seventh-ranked “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” added $5 million to reach $315.9 million and pass the total of its 2001 predecessor. “The Fellowship of the Ring” took 116 days to reach $313 million. The sequel passed that mark Saturday, its 45th day.
Assuming the fantasy epic gets a few mentions when Academy Award nominations are announced Feb. 11, New Line executives hope it will finish with about $350 million.
New releases next weekend include the comedies “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey; “Shanghai Knights,” starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson; and “Deliver Us From Eva,” starring LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union.