'School of Rock' goes to head of box office with $20.2 million

LOS ANGELES -- A rock 'n' roll animal has displaced The Rock as box-office champion.

"The School of Rock," with Jack Black as a rocker posing as a substitute teacher to coach fifth graders for a battle-of-the-bands contest, earned top grades from audiences with a $20.2 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Out of Time," starring Denzel Washington as a police chief scrambling to prove his innocence in a double murder, opened in second place with $17 million.

Black, a relative newcomer to lead roles, edged established star Washington even though "School of Rock" opened in fewer theaters. Playing in 2,614 theaters, "School of Rock" averaged $7,728 a cinema, compared to a $5,527 average in 3,076 theaters for "Out of Time."

"I think it has more to do with the subject matter than the stars," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "'School of Rock' has a younger, school-age appeal. Black's like a big kid, an Adam Sandler-type persona. That brings in younger audiences."

"Out of Time" played more to movie-goers 30 and up, with women accounting for 55 percent of the audience because of Washington's sex appeal, said Erik Lomis, head of distribution for MGM, which released the film.

Sofia Coppola's art house hit "Lost in Translation," starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson, expanded to many small cities and took in a solid $4.3 million, coming in at No. 7.

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

1. "The School of Rock," $20.2 million.

2. "Out of Time," $17 million.

3. "The Rundown," $9.8 million.

4. "Under the Tuscan Sun," $7.9 million.

5. "Secondhand Lions," $5.4 million.

6. "Underworld," $4.8 million.

7. "Lost in Translation," $4.3 million.

8. "The Fighting Temptations," $3.3 million.

9. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," $2.55 million.

10. "Cold Creek Manor," $2.5 million.