BOX OFFICE 'Transporter 2' steals No. 1 spot from 'Virgin'

Despite being second, 'Virgin' was still a big moneymaker.
ZAP2IT.COM
LOS ANGELES -- "Transporter 2," the sequel to the 2002's high-powered offering, ruined "The 40 Year-Old Virgin's" lucky streak of two weeks, scoring the box-office title for the long Labor Day weekend. The action flick earned approximately $20.3 million from Friday through Monday, beating out 2003's "Jeepers Creepers 2," with its $18.4 million, for the best Labor Day weekend opening ever.
"Virgin" held its own in the third week out, dropping a mere 20 percent for a $16.6 million finish. The lushly photographed adaptation of John Le Carre's "The Constant Gardener" drew the highest per-screen average of the wider release films, averaging $8,026 for its 1,346 screens, bringing it to third place at $10.8 million.
"Red Eye" still had wings with $9.3 million for its third week out, while Terry Gilliam's fractured fairy tale "The Brothers Grimm" fell a whopping 55 percent to fifth place with a $7.9 million.
Rounding out the Top 10 were "Four Brothers," "The Wedding Crashers," the waddling juggernaut saga "March of the Penguins," "The Skeleton Key" and "The Cave."
Miramax's unfortunate "Underclassman" starring Nick Cannon got sent to the back of the class, opening in 11th place just ahead of the lackluster Disney animated WWII pigeon flick "Valiant."
Warner Bros.' "A Sound of Thunder" didn't even break into the Top 12, taking in a mere $1.2 million in its debut on 816 screens, while the Cinderella title went "William Eggleston in the Real World," about the 1960s photography maverick, snapping up the highest per-screen average with a $8,920 for it lone theater.
Overall, the Top 12 films for Friday through Sunday grossed $77.3 million, just 3.8 percent lower than last week's take. The week's four-day box office, however, did mark a significant 15.7-percent increase over the same weekend in 2004, when the colorful martial arts film "Hero" topped the box office.