'Pirates' Plundered The Box Office

Johnny Depp's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl" sailed into first place this weekend, bringing in over $46 million at the box office. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," starring Sean Connery took second, earning a little over $23 million, while "T3: Rise of the Machines" with Arnold Schwarzenegger fell to third with $19.6 million, according to Hollywood.com.

Overall box-office revenues were up slightly, ending a string of four straight declining weekends. The top 12 movies grossed $140 million, up 3.5 percent from the same weekend last year.

For the year, Hollywood receipts are running about 5 percent behind 2002 revenues.

"Finding Nemo," the year's top-grossing movie, was No. 5 with $8.2 million, lifting its total to $290.8 million. The animated fish tale should pass the $300 million mark by this weekend.

The surreal fairy tale "Northfork" debuted strongly in limited release, taking in $61,000 at five theaters. From sibling filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish, "Northfork" stars Nick Nolte, James Woods and Daryl Hannah in the story of locals who refuse to evacuate their town to make way for a hydroelectric dam.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" stars Depp as a rascally pirate on a quest to retrieve his stolen ship from his first mate (Geoffrey Rush) and a crew of cursed mutineers who turn into skeletons in moonlight.

Produced by blockbuster baron Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski, the well-reviewed "Pirates" offered elaborate stunts and visual effects for the action crowd and a classy cast that elevated it above the usual summer popcorn picture.

A staple in Errol Flynn's days, pirate movies had fallen on hard times in Hollywood with such modern bombs as "Cutthroat Island" and "Treasure Planet."

"Everybody had said pirate movies were cursed. The curse is officially over," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution.

Disney bombed with its previous theme-park adaptation, last summer's "The Country Bears." But with the success of "Pirates," audiences skeptical about seeing movies based on Disney attractions might be a bit more primed for the next one, this fall's "The Haunted Mansion," starring Eddie Murphy.

The studio is running trailers for "The Haunted Mansion" before "Pirates of the Caribbean."

The following are the numbers according to Hollywood.com:

1. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,"
   $46.4 million.
   
2. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," $23.25 million.
   
3. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $19.6 million.
   
4. "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," $12 million.
   
5. "Finding Nemo," $8.2 million.
   
6. "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," $7.3 million.
   
7. "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas," $4.6 million.
   
8. "28 Days Later," $4.25 million.
   
9. "The Hulk," $3.7 million.
   
10. "The Italian Job," $2.8 million.