LOS ANGELES - The ancient battle of Thermopylae was the stuff of 2007's first certified blockbuster as the bloody action tale "300" debuted with ticket sales of $70 million over its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The number of movie-goers for the Warner Bros. epic "300" outnumbered crowds for the rest of the top-10 movies combined. If the estimate holds when final numbers are released today, "300" would break the record for best March debut ever, topping the $68 million haul for "Ice Age: The Meltdown" last year.
"300" bumped off the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Disney's "Wild Hogs," which slipped to second place but held up well with $28 million, raising its total to $77.4 million.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released today.
1. "300," $70 million
2. "Wild Hogs," $28 million
3. "Bridge to Terabithia," $6.9 million
4. "Ghost Rider," $6.8 million
5. "Zodiac," $6.77 million
6. "The Number 23," $4.33 million
7. "Norbit," $4.3 million
8. "Music and Lyrics," $3.8 million
9. "Breach, $2.6 million
10. "Amazing Grace," $2.5 million