The devil in Keanu Reeve's Constantine had a roaring time at the North American box-office, but it was Will Smith's [Images] Hitch that laughed the loudest with an estimated $31.8 million weekend gross. Its 10-day total reached a solid $90 million.

Among the movies in limited release, Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice had another solid week. Holding on to 32 screens as in the previous week, it came down by about 18 percent, grossing $320, 000 and taking its 10-day total to $810,000. The movie, which is 20^th on the chart, could be playing on 100 screens the coming weekend, and has a good chance to move into top 15.

The early print advertisements for the movie had only the Chadha's name displayed prominently. But the new ones include the names of Aishwarya Rai [Images] and Martin Henderson.

In Britain, Bride & Prejudice was at top spot for two consecutive weeks late last year. In North America, it could jump into the top 10, if its current popularity holds good, leading to a bigger expansion in the next two weeks.

According to Miramax, women constituted about 55 percent of the audiences in the first week but the film played very well beyond the South Asian constituency. Only about 24 percent of the audiences were South Asians, suggesting that many had seen the film on pirated DVDs. Miramax claimed that though the film grossed strongly in New York and Los Angeles, it was playing well in cities like Chicago and Washington, DC.

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Meanwhile, box-office analysts attributed much of Hitch's durability -- it came down from the previous week by only about 26 percent -- to Will Smith's charisma. By next weekend, it will become the first $100 million grossing film of 2005, and could still be the top-grossing movie. It is also a double achievement for Smith, as he is one of the movie's producers. The film's success also boosts the career of comedian Kevin James, for whom this is a major big screen film.

The exorcism and demon-chasing drama Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves [Images], came next with $31.5 million. Though Constantine led the box-office on its opening day on Friday, it lost quite a bit of its power in the following days. It is a typical situation for sci-fi and horror films, with fans rushing to see the movies on opening days with far bigger numbers than the next day. When reason prevails, perhaps.

Adapted from the DC/Vertigo Comics' Hellblazer series, Constantine stars Reeves as the heavy smoking, cancerous title character who sends demons back to where they belong. With about $22 million grossed in Southeast Asia in 10 days, Constantine is on its way to be a medium sized hit worldwide, earning about $200 million. But it is doubtful if the movie, which cost about $100 million, can gross more than $80 million in North America. Yet, because of the possibility of a solid worldwide run and a big DVD sale, there could be a sequel to the supernatural thriller.

Two other newcomers came next, but with unspectacular numbers. Because of Winn-Dixie grossed $10.8 million, and, at fourth place, Son Of The Mask bagged a mere $7.7 million. The former aims at family audiences, cost about $15 million, and revolves around a lonely girl (newcomer Annasophia Robb) and an orphaned dog in a small town. Jeff Daniels stars as her father.

The dog helps her make friends. And it also helps heal her own difficult relationship with her father.

The film, directed by Wayne Wang, whose Maid In Manhattan was a sizeable romantic hit two years ago, got mixed reviews -- like his previous film.

'It is refreshingly free of the overadrenalised overkill and/or saccharine manipulations of so many kid movies,' declared Atlanta Journal Constitution. And Boston Globe praised the film for its 'pace, sensibility and big, beating heart.' But Roger Ebert in Chicago Sun-times wrote that though the film did not 'have a mean bone in its body,' it was 'dead in the water.'

The movie is certainly going to be profitable once the DVD is out. Besides, like many family-oriented films, it could show stronger legs and earn at least $40 million in theaters, making it a break-even film even before the DVDs are out.

But Son Of The Mask may not be lucky at all.

A sequel to 1994 Jim Carrey hit The Mask, the Jamie Kennedy comedy Son Of The Mask stars the young actor as the father of a child who is born with the Mask's special powers. The film wasn't an inexpensive production like many of the top ten films including Are We There Yet? and Million Dollar Baby, each costing about $30 million. The special effects laden Son Of The Mask reportedly cost $80 million.

Reviews are not important to a film like Son Of The Mask but it's still worth noting that the film gathered some of the worst reviews of the year.

'Without the sssssmokin Carrey, all of it just seems sssstupid,' complained Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

In Boston Globe, Wesley Morris wrote that the film 'reeks of a studio (New Line) desperate to make an easy buck from the memory of one of its hits.'

The major Oscar contenders had another good week. Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, which added a few dozen screens, had a mild decline (3 percent) at fifth place. It was followed by the hit comedy Are We There Yet?, scary movie Boogeyman and kid pic Pooh's Heffalump Movie.

At ninth position, The Aviator was still flying high with $4.1 million, with its total at $88 million. Even without a major Oscar, the Martin Scorsese epic could reach $100 million.