Disney/Spyglass' snowbound adventure Eight Below was the top ranking domestic releaseover three days on Presidents Day Weekend as it launched on an estimated$19.9m.

Fox's comedy Date Movie opened close behind in second place on $18.9m, while lastweekend's champion The Pink Panther ranked third on $16.5m for $42.2m. Sony/Revolution's newthriller Freedomland disappointedin seventh on $5.9m.

Paul Walker and Jason Biggsstar as Antarctic explorers who rescue their dogs in Buena Vista's familyadventure Eight Below, which opened tovery favourable reviews averaged $6,474 on 3,066 screens. Frank Marshalldirected.

Scary Movie screenwriters Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg take anirreverent look at the romantic comedy genre in Date Movie, which stars Alyson Hannigan and AdamCampbell as star-crossed lovers. The release averaged $6,526 on 2,896 screens.

Freedomland, directed by Revolution chief Joe Roth, opened to poor reviewsand averaged a below-average $2,520 on 2,361 screens. The adaptation of RichardPrice's thriller stars Samuel L Jackson and Julianne Moore in the story of theracially explosive consequences of a child's murder.

Elsewhere Universal's Curious George ranks fourth on $29.4m after twoweekends, one place ahead of New Line's Final Destination 3 on $35.8m after the same amount of time.

Next weekend's wide releases sees Paul Walker crop up again in NewLine's action tale Running Scared, Lionsgate's Madea's Family Reunion starring Tyler Perry, Screen Gems'fantasy thriller Ultraviolet starring Milla Jovovich, and TWC's Doogal, aka The Magic Roundabout.

Estimated Top Ten North America Feb 17-19 2006

Film (Distributor)/International distribution/Estimated weekendgross/Estimated total to date

1 (-) Eight Below (Buena Vista) Spyglass $19.9m -

2 (-) Date Movie (Fox) Fox Int'l $18.9m -

3 (1) The Pink Panther (MGM/Columbia) Fox Int'l $16.5m $42.2m

4 (3) Curious George (Universal) UIP $11.3m $29.4m

5 (2) Final Destination 3 (New Line) New Line Int'l $10.1m $35.8m

6 (4) Firewall (Warner Bros) Warner/Village Roadshow $9m $27.3m

7 (-) Freedomland (Sony/Revolution) SPRI $5.9m -

8 (5) When a Stranger Calls (Screen Gems) SPRI $4.9m $41.2m

9 (6) Big Momma's House 2 (Fox) Fox Int'l $4.4m $61.3m

10 (7) Nanny McPhee (Universal) UIP $3.7m $37.8m