BVI's release of Scary Movie 3 was the strongest opener of 2004 to date, grossing $7.3m from 630 screens with a screen average of $ 11,565.

The only other new entry in the Top 15 was Constantin Film's 21 Grams - with $371,969 from 107 prints - which could follow the success of Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation which is still in the Top 10 after eight weeks in the box-office chart and will have now taken over $6m.

Meanwhile, Constantin has now announced that due to the "immense demand" for Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ after the US opening last weekend, it will now bring the German release forward from the original release date of April 8 - Maundy Thursday - to March 18. Constantin plans to launch the film on 350-400 prints.