Sony Pictures' Hitch opened on the weekend andshot straight to the top of the box office chart, grossing nearly three timesmore than the next most popular film. Hitch took A$3,507,820 from 370screens to clock up a screen average of A$9,481, the biggest in the chart.

The rest of the top five was made up of Roadshowtitles. Constantine took A$1,296,649 from 289 screens in its secondweekend and The Aviator took A$800,802 from 240 screens in its fourthweek. Million Dollar Baby punched in ticket sales worth A$679,800 to 105screens in its fifth week, and Bride And Prejudice grossed A$441,397from 99 screens in its third week.

The hype surrounding the Academy Awards arrested MillionDollar Baby's descent down the chart. It was fifth last weekend but fourththis one, having grown its gross by 24%. Also favourably affected was 20th CenturyFox's Sideways, which climbed two rungs to seventh place.