On the day thatColumbia Pictures announced that 2002 was its all-time biggest year at the boxoffice, the studio's latest blockbuster-elect, the Vin Diesel actionvehicle XXX, heldonto top spot at the North American box office with an estimated $23m haul. TheRevolution Studios-produced picture averaged $6,788 from 3,388 theatres in itssecond week. With a cumulative gross of $84.9m and no significant challengerslined up next week XXXshould hold on to its berth and notch up another $100m+ result for the studio.Disney's supernatural drama Signs stayed in second place with a $19.5m gross that brings ittotal so far to a portentous $150.7m after three weeks. The movie averaged$5,831 from 3,344 theatres.

Opening in thirdplace on $15.2m was Universal's surfer girl movie Blue Crush produced by Imagine Entertainment. Starring Kate Bosworth and MichelleRodriguez (The Fast And The Furious, Girlfight) and directed by John Stockwell, whosecredits include last year's Crazy/Beautiful, the picture garnered decent reviews andaveraged $5,063 from 3,002 theatres. In fourth was Miramax's Spy Kids2, down one place fromlast week with an $11.6m haul that brings its two-week running total to $45.7m.Rounding out the top five was Austin Powers In Goldmember, down one place in its fourth week with$8.7m and a staggering $183.9m cumulative score.

Apart from BlueCrush the only otheropener to break into the top ten was Castle Rock's The Adventures OfPluto Nash starringEddie Murphy. Placing tenth, the $100m comedy suffered greatly from developmentdelays and damning advance word on the internet. It grossed $2.2m, averaging adismal $926 from 2,320 theatres. Set on the Moon in 2087, the film stars Murphyas a nightclub owner who somehow gets involved with the lunar independencemovement. The picture received damning reviews and, with a production cost ofsome $100m, is a monumental flop.

At the other endof the spectrum was IFC Films' My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which continued to defy gravity afteran extraordinary 18-week run, rising two places to sixth on $5.8m and acumulative total of $52.9m.

Overall boxoffice dropped for the fifth consecutive weekend as the top 12 movies combinedfor a $101.4m gross, down 2% from the same period last year. Year-to-date 2002is still on course to become the biggest box office year of all time.

ColumbiaPictures announced today that, with four months of the year remaining, 2002 hasalready become its record year with a $1.29bn gross, surpassing the studio'sprevious best of $1.27bn in 1997. Columbia's 2002 slate has registeredsix number one pictures so far. Upcoming releases include Eddie Murphy and OwenWilson in I Spy and PunchDrunk Love, which starsAdam Sandler and was one of the darlings of Cannes earlier this year.

Nextweekendís releases include New Line's Simone, a Hollywood satire in which Al Pacinostars opposite a digitally created leading lady; Miramax's Undisputed, a prison boxing drama starring WesleySnipes and Ving Rhames; and One Hour Photo, Fox Searchlight's Robin Williams-starrer about alonely photo processor who develops an obsession with a young family.

ESTIMATED TOPTEN US AUGUST 16-18, 2002

Film(Distributor)/International distribution/Estimated weekend gross/Estimatedtotal to date

1 (1) XXX (Columbia) Columbia TriStar/Revolution$23m $84.9m

2 (2) Signs (Buena Vista) BVI International $19.5m $150.7m

3 (-) BlueCrush (Universal) UIP$15.2m --

4 (3) SpyKids 2 (Miramax) BVIInternational $11.6m $45.69m

5 (4) AustinPowers In Goldmember(New Line) New Line International $8.7m $183.87m

6 (8) My BigFat Greek Wedding (IFC)Vortex Pictures $5.82m $52.89m

7 (5) BloodWork (Warner Bros)Warner Bros $4.8m $15.3m

8 (7) Road ToPerdition (DreamWorksSKG) Fox $3.8m $90.3m

9 (6) TheMaster Of Disguise(Columbia) Columbia TriStar/Revolution $3.3m $30.4m

10 (-) TheAdventures Of Pluto Nash(Warner Bros) Warner Bros $2.15m --