Fending off competition from four new wide releases, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory retained its hold atop the box office with an estimated $9M on Friday to start its second weekend. The Warner Bros. film dropped a hefty 57% from its opening day and seems likely to collect $28-30M for the whole frame.

After a powerful opening, New Line's Wedding Crashers posted a strong hold on Friday with an estimated $7.7M dipping only 29%. That gives it the best sophomore hold for any summer film since the sleeper hit Crash in early May. For the three-day span, the Owen Wilson-Vince Vaughn comedy should take in $25-27M and remain in second place.

Michael Bay's big-budget action thriller The Island debuted on Friday with an estimated $4.4M and should leave DreamWorks with $12-13M for the weekend. The Billy Bob Thornton baseball comedy Bad News Bears grossed an estimated $4.2M on Friday, its first day of release, and should finish the frame with $11-13M for Paramount.

Two new releases also opened in more moderate play. The Lions Gate horror sequel The Devil's Rejects bowed to an estimated $3.1M on Friday. A three-day take of $8-9M seems likely. Paramount Classics launched its pimp tale Hustle & Flow to an estimated $2.7M on Friday and should find its way to $7-8M. The documentary March of the Penguins expanded to 695 theaters nationwide and grossed an estimated $900,000 on Friday. Look for a weekend tally of about $3M.

The top ten films combined for an estimated $39.4M on Friday representing a 15% drop from a year ago when The Bourne Supremacy opened to $19.1M on its way to a $52.5M debut weekend.

Among holdovers, Friday-to-Friday declines were 49% for Fantastic Four and 43% for War of the Worlds.

Take this week's NEW Reader Survey on which super hero film sequel you would want to see most. For reviews of The Island and Bad News Bears visit The Chief Report.

Last Updated: July 23, 2005 at 12:15PM EST

Written by Gitesh Pandya