'Ring' Sequel 'Towers' Over Box Office

In "The Two Towers," the second "Lord Of The Rings" installment, actor Viggo Mortenson returns as human warrior Aragon. The entire trilogy took 18 intense months to film, and it's an experience that Mortensen wouldn't have traded for the world.

His enthusiasm is mirrored by audiences. In its debut weekend, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" took in $61.5 million and $101.5 million since opening Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Its weekend haul was up 30 percent from the $47.2 million taken in by "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" over its first weekend last year. The sequel's five-day gross rose 35 percent from the $75.1 million the first film did.

"The Two Towers" opened in 3,622 theaters, an 8 percent increase over "Fellowship," and averaged a whopping $16,980 a cinema over the weekend, compared with $14,055 for the first film.

Debuting as the No. 2 movie was the Sandra Bullock-Hugh Grant romance "Two Weeks Notice," which took in $14.4 million in 2,755 theaters for a $5,229 average. Last weekend's top movie, Jennifer Lopez's "Maid in Manhattan," slipped to third place with $11 million.

Playing in narrower release, Martin Scorsese's long-delayed epic "Gangs of New York" debuted with $9.1 million in 1,504 theaters, for a $6,064 average. The movie expands to about 2,150 theaters on Christmas.

Director Peter Jackson's middle chapter in his mammoth adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, "The Two Towers" also took in about $85 million overseas in 26 countries where it opened since Wednesday.

Because the movie sent nearly $190 million to the bank in just five days, distributor New Line Cinema expects "The Two Towers" to surpass the $860 million total worldwide gross of "Fellowship of the Ring" by 20 to 25 percent, said Rolf Mittweg, the studio's head of worldwide marketing and distribution.

If that comes to pass, it would be only the second movie after "Titanic" to top $1 billion at the box office. "Titanic" leads the worldwide charts with $1.8 billion, with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" at No. 2 with $968 million.

"When all is said and done, we want to be the No. 2 film worldwide after `Titanic,"' Mittweg said. "We think we're on track to do that."

"Gangs of New York," yanked off distributor Miramax's schedule a year ago amid bickering over the final cut between Scorsese and Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, stars Leonard DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz in a vengeance tale in 1860s Manhattan.

Miramax is counting on good word of mouth and attention through Hollywood's awards season to build the film's audience. "Gangs of New York" has scored solidly with early film honors, especially for Day-Lewis' performance.

"The critical stamp of approval we've gotten has really overcome any questions about the film," Rick Sands, Miramax's chief operating officer, said of the feud between Scorsese and Weinstein. "I honestly don't think the public takes any of that stuff that seriously, and Marty and Harvey have a relationship which is extremely positive."

Miramax is co-financing Scorsese's next film, the Howard Hughes film biography "The Aviator," which also will star DiCaprio.

In limited release, Spike Lee's "The 25th Hour" grossed $109,811 in five theaters for a $21,962 average. The film stars Edward Norton as a drug dealer on his last day before beginning a seven-year prison sentence.

Denzel Washington's directing debut, "Antwone Fisher," took in $217,500 in 15 theaters for a $14,500 average. Derek Luke stars as the real-life title character, a violent Navy sailor coming to grips with his traumatic childhood.

The police thriller "Narc," starring Ray Liotta and Jason Patric, grossed $66,000 in six theaters, averaging $11,000.

Viggo Mortenson says making all three trilogy movies simulated the fellowship in the story. "You know it very much mirrored that. And it was worthwhile," he says on The Early Show.

His character develops in "The Two Towers," showing more responsibility

The movie is really about potentially the end of middle earth an ultimate battle between good and evil, he says.

He says he is "uncomfortable with the fact that people are relating that in many cases to the situation the United States is in [with the war on terror]. And I find that this situation is quite different in reality."

The third and final "Lord Of The Rings" installment, "Return Of The King" will be in theaters Dec. 17, 2003.

The following are the weekend numbers according to Hollywood.com:

1. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," $61.5 million.
   
2. "Two Weeks Notice," $14.4 million
   
3. "Maid in Manhattan," $11 million
   
4. "Gangs of New York," $9.1 million
   
5. "Drumline," $7.6 million
   
6. "The Wild Thornberrys Movie," $6.1 million
   
7. "The Hot Chick," $4.5 million
   
8. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," $4.46 million
   
9. "Star Trek: Nemesis," $4.4 million
   
10. "Die Another Day," $4 million