'Harry Potter,' 'Shrek,' boost Hollywood box office

LOS ANGELES -- The boy wizard held off an interstellar fugitive, robotic wives and a talking cat to maintain his sway at movie theaters.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was the top movie for a second weekend, taking in $35.1 million to lift its 10-day total to $158.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Shrek 2" held up well in its fourth weekend, slipping from second to third place with $24 million but pushing its domestic haul to $354 million. That made it the top-grossing animated movie ever, passing the $339.7 million gross of "Finding Nemo."

The sci-fi saga "The Chronicles of Riddick," with Vin Diesel returning as the escaped killer turned anti-hero from 2000's "Pitch Black," debuted at No. 2 with $24.6 million.

Nicole Kidman's "The Stepford Wives," a black comedy remake of the 1970s thriller about a town where men replace their mates with Barbie doll robots, opened in fourth place with $22.2 million.

"Garfield: The Movie," featuring Bill Murray as mouthpiece for the comic strip fat cat, premiered at No. 5 with $21.7 million.

Revenue for the third "Harry Potter" fell a steep 63 percent from the movie's $93.7 million opening weekend gross. In contrast, "Shrek 2" grosses fell just 33 percent in its second weekend.

In 2002, revenue for "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" fell 52 percent in its second weekend, though that movie opened in November. "Prisoner of Azkaban" was the first "Harry Potter" movie to open in summer, when competition is stronger.

As more classes let out for summer, distributor Warner Bros. is counting on steady weekday business from youngsters to help sustain "Harry Potter," said Dan Fellman, the studio's head of distribution.

"We're in good shape, even though we took a pretty good drop this weekend," Fellman said.

Next weekend brings Steven Spielberg's comedy "The Terminal," starring Tom Hanks as an Eastern European stuck at Kennedy airport after a coup in his homeland invalidates his passport; a new rendition of Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" with Jackie Chan; and Ben Stiller's sports farce "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." The highly anticipated "Spider-Man 2" opens June 30.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $35.1 million.

2. "The Chronicles of Riddick," $24.6 million.

3. "Shrek 2," $24 million.

4. "The Stepford Wives," $22.2 million.

5. "Garfield: The Movie," $21.7 million.

6. "The Day After Tomorrow," $14.55 million.

7. "Raising Helen," $3.8 million.

8. "Troy," $3.5 million.

9. "Saved!" $2.55 million.

10. "Mean Girls," $1.5 million.