Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia scored the third largest Friday-to-Sunday debut of the year with a better-than-expected estimated total of $67 million.  Hollywood is hoping that Narnia's blockbuster opening heralds a late season comeback for Tinseltown -- and Disney's C.S. Lewis-inspired film did ensure that the forty-ninth weekend of 2005 was considerably stronger than the corresponding weekend in 2004. 

Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, which opens on Tuesday, will undoubtedly dislodge Narnia from its throne, but the Disney film is likely to remain strong through the holiday season.  Box office totals from 2005 will probably outstrip 2004's for the remainder of the year.

After three weeks in the top spot Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire dropped to third place, earning an estimated $10.3 million; but the fourth Potter film has accumulated a robust $244 million domestically in just four weeks, and it has also done extremely well overseas. 

Aeon Flux, which finished second last weekend, plummeted 63.5% and finished in seventh place.

The Chronicles of Narnia averaged a powerful $18,546 per location, by far the best total of any film in wide release.

Warner's politically charged international thriller Syriana earned nearly $7,000 per location, for an estimated total of $12 million, to finish in second.  Two other adult-oriented films with Oscar possibilities, Brokeback Mountain and Memoirs of a Geisha opened very strongly in limited release.