Sony scored its 11thdomestic number one release of the year as the animated feature Open Season stormed to the top on an estimated $23m.

Thepicture, which features the vocal talents of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher, opened tomixed-to-favourable reviews.

It was a great weekend forKutcher, who also stars alongside Kevin Costner in Buena Vista's coast guard rescuedrama The Guardian, which openedto mediocre reviews in second place on $17.7m. That film was produced by BeaconPictures which has a production home at Disney.

Overall box office clawedback respectability as the top 12 pictures combined for $85.1m, up 13% againstthe same period last weekend. Paramount's Jackass: Number Two tumbled two places to third on $14m for $51.5m in itssecond weekend, while MGM/TWC's poorly reviewed comedy School For Scoundrelsstarring Billy Bob Thornton and JonHeder opened in fourth on $9.9m.

Elsewhere the top picturesconsolidated the gains of recent weeks. Focus' martial arts epic Fearless ranks fifth on $17.8m after two, and Sony's GridironGang ranks sixth on $33.2m afterthree.

The smaller pictures, arelative term if ever there was one, continued to fare well. Yari Film Groups' TheIllusionist stands at $31.5m in seventhplace after seven, and Fox Searchlight's Little Miss Sunshine, which has amassed $53.2m after 10 weekends onrelease, held firm in 10th place.

MGM's first world waradventure Flyboys added $2.3m for$9.9m to rank eighth in its second weekend.

Searchlight's Idi Amin dramaThe Last King Of Scotland starringForest Whitaker and James McAvoy opened well in limited release, grossing $143,252in four theatres. It has taken $172,389 since it opened last Wednesday.

The picture has strongawards season pedigree, as does Miramax's very well-reviewed drama The Queen, starring Helen Mirren as the British monarch which tooka spectacular $123,000 from two theatres in New York City over two days.

Next weekend's wide releasesare: Lionsgate's comedy Employee Of The Month starring Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson; MGM'sadventure Stormbreaker starringAlex Pettyfer and Ewan McGregor; New Line's Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning starring Jordana Brewster; and Warner Bros' epic crimethriller The Departed, whichfeatures an all-star ensemble that includes Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon and JackNicholson.

Estimated Top Ten NorthAmerica Sept 29-Oct 1, 2006

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

1 (-) Open Season (Sony) SPRI $23m Ð

2 (-) The Guardian (Buena Vista) BVI $17.7m Ð

3 (1) Jackass: Number Two(Paramount) UIP $14m $51.5m

4 (-) School ForScoundrels (MGM/TWC) TWC $9.1m Ð

5 (2) Jet Li's Fearless (Rogue Pictures) Focus Features/UIP $4.7m $17.8m

6 (3) Gridiron Gang (Sony) SPRI $4.5m $33.2m

7 (8) The Illusionist (Yari Film Group) Syndicate $2.8m $31.5m

8 (4) Flyboys (MGM) Voltage Pictures $2.3m $9.9m

9 (6) The Black Dahlia (Universal) Millennium/Nu Image $2.1m $20.7m

10 (10) Little MissSunshine (Fox Searchlight) Fox Int'l$2m $53.2m