`Mummy Returns' scares life into weekend box office
( 2001-05-08 16:30 ) ()

"The Mummy Returns" scared new life into the North American box office in its debut, recording the second highest movie opening of all time, according to final figures released Monday.

The Universal fright flick starring Brendan Fraser blew in like an Egyptian desert storm, taking in more than 68 million dollars over three days to post the highest non-holiday movie opening of all time, according to Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations.

Another Universal sequel, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," earned 72.1 million dollars in May 1997 debut.

In very distant second place in US and Canadian theaters was Sylvester Stallone and "Driven," pulling in a modest six million dollars, or half of its first-place, 12-million-dollar take last weekend.

In third was "Bridget Jones's Diary" (5.7 million), "Spy Kids" (3.8 million) and "Along Came a Spider (3.76 million).

Rounding out the top 10 were Paul Hogan and "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles" (3.1 million), "Blow" (2.4 million), "Joe Dirt" (1.48 million) "The Foresaken" (1.4 million), and "Town and Country" (1.3 million).