Blondes have more fun at box office

Reese Witherspoon's law-school comedy "Legally Blonde" debuted as the weekend's top film in North America, taking in $ 20.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The heist thriller "The Score," starring brunettes Robert De Niro and Edward Norton, premiered in second place with $ 19 million. Marlon Brando co-stars. Last week's top movie, "Cats & Dogs," fell to third with $ 12 million. The animated sci-fi adventure "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," starring a computer-generated brunette, opened at No. 4 with $ 11.5 million. That take pushed the movie's total since opening Wednesday to $ 19.1 million. The overall box office declined significantly compared to the same weekend last year, when "X-men" debuted with a whopping $ 54.5 million. The top 12 movies grossed $ 108.3 million, down 25 percent from the same weekend a year ago. Hollywood remains on track to break its summer revenue record set in 1999. Big films remaining include "Jurassic Park III" and "America's Sweethearts" this week, "Planet of the Apes" the following week and "American Pie 2" and "Rush Hour 2" next month. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures are to be released Monday. 1. "Legally Blonde," $ 20.4 million. 2. "The Score," $ 19 million. 3. "Cats & Dogs," $ 12 million. 4. "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," $ 11.5 million. 5. "Scary Movie 2," $ 9.5 million. 6. "The Fast and the Furious," $ 7.8 million. 7. "Dr. Dolittle 2," $ 7 million. 8. "Kiss of the Dragon," $ 5.8 million. 9. "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," $ 5.1 million 10. "Tomb Raider," $ 4 million.