'Minority Report,' 'Lilo & Stitch' in dead heat at box office

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg wound up in a dead heat with a cartoon kid and her goofy alien pal.

"Minority Report," Cruise and Spielberg's sci-fi thriller, took in $36.9 million in its first weekend, according to estimates Sunday by its distributor, 20th Century Fox. That would put it barely ahead of the animated "Lilo & Stitch," which debuted with $35.8 million, according to its studio, Disney.

Disney and other studios had tracked "Lilo & Stitch" in first place, slightly ahead of "Minority Report." The weekend's other new wide release, "Juwanna Mann," debuted at No. 7 with $6 million.

Studios base weekend projections on actual ticket sales reported by theaters for Friday and Saturday and estimates for Sunday. When final numbers come in today, "Lilo & Stitch" might edge out "Minority Report" for No. 1.

Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for Fox, said his estimates put "Lilo & Stitch" at $36.8 million, just $100,000 behind "Minority Report," making it too close to call.

"I'm not claiming No. 1. I'm not claiming anything," Snyder said. "I'd call it a tie."

The top movies rarely bunch up so closely. In 1999, Sunday estimates had Paramount's "Double Jeopardy" in first place, Universal's "The Story of Us" in second and Fox's "Fight Club" in third. Final figures Monday lifted "Fight Club" to No. 1.