'The Golden Compass' tops box-office world

LOS ANGELES - "The Golden Compass" proved a mild fantasy at the box office, pulling in $26.1 million.

Disney's "Enchanted," the No. 1 movie the previous two weekends, fell to second with $10.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

New Line Cinema's "The Golden Compass," with a cast that includes Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, took in $55 million overseas since Wednesday.

It cost $180 million to make "Compass" and New Line was expecting it to reach at least $30 million domestically over its first weekend, said Rolf Mittweg, the studio's marketing chief.

Mittweg said he was uncertain about the effects of a backlash against "The Golden Compass" by some Christians, who said Philip Pullman's book that is the basis for the movie and two others in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy preach atheism.

Fox Searchlight's "Juno," written by Diablo Cody, had a huge debut, hauling in $420,113 in only seven theaters.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

1. "The Golden Compass," $26.1 million 2. "Enchanted," $10.7 million 3. "This Christmas," $5 million 4. "Fred Claus," $4.7 million 5. "Beowulf," $4.4 million 6. "No Country for Old Men," $4.2 million 7. "August Rush," $3.5 million 8. "Hitman," $3.48 million 9. "Awake," $3.3 million 10. "Bee Movie," $2.6 million