Slashers Freddy and Jason cut up for No. 1 debut

LOS ANGELES -- The horror tag-team "Freddy vs. Jason" had a killer weekend as the showdown between the bad guys of the "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchises debuted with $36.4 million.

That was more than the combined total for the entire theatrical runs of the last installments in each franchise. Last year's "Jason X" -- the 10th "Friday the 13th" flick -- topped out at $12.6 million, while 1994's "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" -- the seventh in that series -- grossed $18.1 million.

The idea of pairing "Nightmare's" Freddy Krueger and "Friday's" Jason Voorhees had been kicked around since the early 1990s, so there was great fan anticipation. The combination revitalized both movie serials, whose endless sequels had become parodies of themselves.

"It worked because it's a brand new series. It's an original movie with name recognition," said Russell Schwartz, head of domestic marketing for "Freddy vs. Jason" distributor New Line Cinema. "We took it seriously and didn't turn it into 'Scary Movie.' Not that it doesn't have humor, but we didn't want to go too campy."

"S.W.A.T.", the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, fell to second place with $18.6 million, bringing its 10-day total to $70.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The overall box office, which has slumped for much of the summer, rose sharply this past weekend. The top 12 movies took in $132.1 million, up 33 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

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

1. "Freddy vs. Jason," $36.4 million.

2. "S.W.A.T.", $18.6 million.

3. "Open Range," $14.1 million.

4. "Freaky Friday," $13.1 million.

5. "Uptown Girls," $11.2 million.

6. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $8.5 million.

7. "American Wedding," $8.2 million.

8. "Seabiscuit," $8.1 million.

9. "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," $5.2 million.

10. "Bad Boys II," $3.2 million.