The Rock retains box-office title belt

LOS ANGELES -- "The Scorpion King" ruled the box office for a second straight weekend with $17.6 million, but its reign is about to end with the arrival of another hero that's part man, part bug.

One of the most hotly awaited comic-book adaptations ever, "Spider-Man" opens next weekend and is expected to put an early spin on the summer blockbuster season.

"This is one of the most anticipated movies of the year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "It's a total summer movie. It's exactly what people want in summer."

"Scorpion King" distributor Universal wisely chose to slip its action flick into the lineup two weeks ahead of "Spider-Man." Starring pro wrestler The Rock in a spinoff of "The Mummy" franchise, "The Scorpion King" debuted with $36.1 million last weekend, a record for a film opening in April.

The movie has taken in $60.8 million in its first 10 days.

"We gave ourselves two full weeks with a lot of visibility and no real competition out there," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "It turns out to have been a very successful strategy."

The thriller "Changing Lanes" held the No. 2 spot for the second straight weekend with $9 million, pushing its 17-day total to $44.6 million.