Ice Age: The Meltdown held on to top spot and became the first release of2006 to cross $100m after an estimated $34.5m haul raised the domestic tally to$116.4m after ten days.

The animated family sequelremained the dominant picture across the globe following a staggering $93mperformance in the international marketplace that raised the global runningtotal to more than $270m.

Revolution Studios' comedy TheBenchwarmers opened well in secondplace through Sony on $20.5m, one place ahead of New Line's new release anddance drama Take The Lead on$12.8m.

TWC's crime caper LuckyNumber Slevin launched in fifthplace on $7.1m through MGM Ð it is the first release for MGM under its newmanagement - and Fox Searchlight's comedy Phat Girlz opened number nine on $3.1m.

Overall the top 12 titlescombined for a $105.1m weekend haul, a rise of 33% against the same period lastyear.

The Benchwarmers centres on a trio of slackers who form a three-manbaseball team and compete with little leaguers. Jon Heder, David Spade and RobSchneider star in the film directed by Dennis Dugan, which was not screened forpress before its opening. The film still averaged $6,261 on 3,274 screens.

Take The Lead stars Antonio Banderas as a classically trainedballroom dancer who volunteers to teach at a New York public school. LizFriedlander directed the picture, which averaged $4,245 on 3,009 screens anddrew mixed reviews.

Crime movie Lucky NumberSlevin, about a young man whobecomes embroiled in a murder scheme, averaged $3,593 on 1,984 screens. JoshHartnett, Lucy Liu and Morgan Freeman star in and Paul McGuigan directed the film.

Fox Searchlight's comedy PhatGirlz stars Mo'Nique as afast-talking aspiring fashion designer. It averaged $2,935 on 1,056 screens.Nnegest Likke directed.

Universal's heist picture InsideMan fell two places to fourth in itsthird weekend on $9.2m for $66.1m, while Paramount's sixth-placed romanticcomedy Failure To Launch raisedits tally to $79.1m after five.

Thank You For Smoking, Fox Searchlight's tobacco industry satire starringAaron Eckhart that has been a critical darling and played to sell-out houses atToronto and Sundance, expanded from 126 to 300 theatres in its fourth weekend.It climbed three places to 10th, grossing $2.4m for $6.3m.

Nicole Holofcener's drama FriendsWith Money, which opened Sundanceback in January, launched through Sony Pictures Classics on a respectable$636,681 in 28 theatres.

Next weekend is Easter whenthe wide releases are Buena Vista's animated family picture The Wild featuring the voices of Kiefer Sutherland and EddieIzzard; Miramax's UK comedy Kinky Boots starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor; and The Weinstein Company'sspoof horror sequel Scary Movie 4,which stars Anna Faris and Craig Bierko.

Estimated Top Ten NorthAmerica Apr 7-9 2006

Film(Distributor)/International distribution/Estimated weekend

gross/Estimated total todate

1 (1) Ice Age: TheMeltdown (Fox) Fox Intl $34.5m$116.4m

2 (-) The Benchwarmers (Sony/Revolution) SPRI $20.5m -

3 (-) Take The Lead (New Line) NLI $12.8m -

4 (2) Inside Man (Universal) UIP $9.2m $66.1m

5 (-) Lucky Number Slevin(TWC) Capitol Films $7.1m -

6 (4) Failure To Launch (Paramount) UIP $4.1m $79.1m

7 (3) ATL (Warner Bros) WBPI $3.8m $17.3m

8 (5) V For Vendetta (Warner Bros) WBPI $3.4m $62.3m

9 (-) Phat Girlz (Fox Searchlight) Fox Int'l $3.1m -

10 (13) Thank You ForSmoking (Fox Searchlight) Fox/ContentFilm$2.4m $6.3m