"Narnia" and George Topple "Harry" While "Aeon" Free Falls

The Associated Press is reporting that Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - adapted from the C.S. Lewis tale - debuted as this weekend's No. 1 movie with $67.1 million.

"The Chronicles of Narnia" follows four children who find a magical doorway through a wardrobe that transports them from World War II London to the world of Narnia, where they are caught up in the clash between a wicked witch and the god-like lion Aslan.

The No. 2 slot was taken by the Warner Brothers thriller "Syriana," a politically-charged tale about the state of the oil industry. The film's ensemble cast includes George Clooney and Matt Damon. "Syriana" expanded nationwide this week after two weekends in limited release. Industry estimates put the film in second place with $12 million.

Warner's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the top film the previous two weekends, slipped to third with $10.3 million, raising its domestic total to $244.1 million. The film's world-wide total stands at a whopping $658 million. In comparison, "Harry" made nearly $103 million domestically its first weekend.

Also of note to sci-fi fans, "Aeon Flux" fell from the No. 2 slot last week to No. 6 with $4.6 million. With Peter Jackson's "King Kong" hitting wide release this week, it's not likely to recover ground any time soon. World-wide totals for "Aeon" currently stand at only $22 million. Paramount will have to rely on DVD sales to recoup the more than $60 million it spent to make the film. (Good luck with that!) -- Shannon Nolley

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