According to early box office estimates, Screen Gems' clever ploy of not screening Underworld: Evolution for critics had the desired effect: the film took in about $27.6 million this weekend, more than doubling the take of any other film and even bettering the open of the first installment in the series. This weekend's other major release was End of the Spear which, though it didn't make much (about $4.2 million) depending on your source), was shown in fewer than as half many theaters as Underworld; it ended up in the eighth spot. Holding steady in second was Hoodwinked, which made just over $11 million in its second week of release; it was followed by Glory Road and Last Holiday, both of which took in $9.1 million in week two.

Among Oscar hopefuls, Brokeback Mountain's expansion to about 1200 screens earned it fifth place and just under $8 million - I guess all those Golden Globes didn't hurt, huh? And appearing for the first time in the charts this weekend is Terrence Malick's The New World, which was released in its recut form on Friday. The film took in a modest $4.3 million, which was good enough for the final spot in the top 10. The growing audience bodes well for both Malick and his film, as does the positive critical response to the new edit. (For the purposes of comparison, Hostel, which is in its third week of release, also made $4.3 million - but on 2,258 screens to The New World's 811.)