LOS ANGELES - Action film hero Vin Diesel propelled his comedy "The Pacifier" to the top of the North American box office this weekend, topping John Travolta`s debut in "Be Cool," according to preliminary figures released Sunday.
In "The Pacifier," which grossed an estimated 30.2 million dollars in its debut, Diesel plays a Navy SEAL assigned to protect the unruly children of an assassinated scientist.
Travolta`s "Be Cool," in which he plays a gangster who tries to break into the music business, came in second with 23.5 million dollars, according to California-based box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Also starring Uma Thurman, the film is a sequel to the hit "Get Shorty" in which Travolta`s character Chili Palmer breaks into the film business.
Will Smith`s dating comedy "Hitch" finished third with an expected take of 12.5 million dollars, while last week`s leader, "Diary of a Made Black Woman," dropped to fourth place with 12 million dollars.
Clint Eastwood`s Oscar-winning film "Million Dollar Baby" took in an estimated 8.5 million dollars.
The supernatural thriller "Constantine," starring Keanu Reeves, finished sixth with six million dollars, followed by Wes Craven`s horror flick "Cursed" with 3.8 million dollars.
The bottom three movies were "Man of the House" with 3.5 million dollars, "Because of Winn-Dixie" with 3.4 million dollars and "The Jacket" with 2.6 million dollars.
Final weekend figures are due Monday.
03/06/2005 21:04 GMT