The Return Of The King retained top spot in its third week, though its screen average -- A$8,429 -- dropped 50% and is now only the eighth highest. It's those 450 screens nationwide that have pushed the King's total box office takings to A$33,725,980.

The three newcomers scored well: Something's Gotta Give (No. 2) averaged A$10,819 from 235 screens, Cheaper By The Dozen (No. 4) averaged A$9,358 from 174 screens, and black urban teen drama Honey (No. 6) a very healthy $A13,866 from 106 screens.

School holiday kids' movies lost impetus. Spy Kids 3D - Game Over took over $A2m in its second week, but Brother Bear ($A1.01m) and Peter Pan (A$0.59m) are fading fast. Looney Tunes - Back In Action saw very little action - averaging only A$844 from its 133 screens.

Best paying houses by far were registered by the IMAX underwater documentary Titanic 3D - Ghosts Of The Abyss. Its 2 screens averaged $A40,411.