The highly anticipated boxoffice debut of Universal's "King Kong" was unleashed in 3,568 theaters in North America this weekend and captured an estimated $50.1 million, and $66.2 million since its Wednesday release. The big-budget remake, helmed by director Peter Jackson and starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody, went day-and-date internationally, grossing a company-best $80.1 million overseas, bringing the worldwide cume to $146.3 million.

Among domestic December debuts, the 187-minute "Kong," which carries a PG-13 rating, proved to be the fourth-largest wonder on record. Three other pictures have grossed more -- Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" films "The Return of the King" ($72.6 million) and "The Two Towers" ($62 million), from New Line Cinema, and Buena Vista's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" ($65.6 million).

Some industry observers, eyeing the $102.3 million debut of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and the opening of "Narnia," have been quick to decry the slower-than-expected start of "Kong." But competing distribution executives, a group not noted for defending rival films, have conceded that this is an animal of a different stripe from "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia."

Armed with mostly positive reviews, solid exits and a massive marketing campaign, "Kong" already is showing signs of ascent as grosses jumped 40% from Friday to Saturday. "Kong's" Friday and Saturday grosses also were higher than the same for the opening weekend of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," the first film in the trilogy.

"Narnia" held up well on its sophomore frame. The classic tale from author C.S. Lewis, directed by Andrew Adamson, placed second, earning an estimated $31.2 million, down a relatively moderate 52% from its debut. The fantasy-adventure film surpassed the $100 million mark Saturday, or in nine days, tying a company best, and has a cume through Sunday of $112.5 million. "Narnia" is the 49th film in company history to exceed $100 million -- an industry record.

20th Century Fox's counterprogramming move, releasing the female-skewing "The Family Stone" against "Kong," worked out well. "Stone" placed third with a much better than expected $12.7 million. Thomas Bezucha helmed the ensemble comedy-drama featuring Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney and Luke Wilson.

"Goblet of Fire" was in the fourth spot with an estimated $5.9 million, moving its cume-to-date to $252.5 million. The new cume surpasses the $249.4 million of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third film in that series.

Warner Bros.' "Syriana" drilled an estimated $5.5 million to place fifth, taking the cume for the George Clooney-Matt Damon starrer to about $22.3 million.

One thing that is clear about "Kong" is that the film helped muscle the weekend boxoffice to more than respectable heights. The estimated total for this weekend's top 12 films was $121.2 million, up a sharp 22% from the corresponding session a year ago. The Hollywood Reporter forecasts the total for all films this weekend to be in the high-$120 million to low-$130 million range, up from last year's $107.5 million.

The increased influx of receipts of late from "Goblet of Fire," "Narnia" and now "Kong" has aided in reducing the year-to-date boxoffice deficit from 7%, where it stood before the release of "Goblet of Fire," to 5%, as compared with 2004.

Two limited release films expanded slightly this weekend and made appearances in the top 12. Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain," a tale of an affair between two gay ranch hands directed by Ang Lee, placed eighth with an estimated $2.4 million from 69 theaters, up 64 from a week earlier. The drama averaged an impressive $34,783 per theater and has taken in about $3.3 million to date. Jack Foley, president of distribution, said the film was playing well across the country and to all demographics. "Brokeback" adds 50-75 theaters Friday.

Sony's "Memoirs of a Geisha" moved up into the 12th slot with $1.2 million from 52 theaters, up 44 from the previous weekend. Helmed by Rob Marshall and starring Ziyi Zhang, the period drama averaged a robust $23,077 per theater, advancing the total to $2.2 million. Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing, said "Geisha" had terrific exits and that the company is hopeful about Friday's wide expansion into 1,400-plus theaters.

Universal's "The Producers" debuted in limited release and took in an estimated $156,000 from six locations. Based on the Mel Brooks smash Broadway musical, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, the PG-13 musical-comedy averaged a promising $26,000 per theater. Susan Stroman helmed "The Producers," which goes wide Friday.

Remarking on the opening for "Kong," Universal Pictures vice chairman Marc Shmuger said, "For us, this is a very exciting Sunday morning. We are so proud of this movie. We started off slower then we expected on Wednesday and Thursday, but we're building stronger then we could have ever hoped for on Friday and Saturday."

Commenting on the jump from Friday to Saturday, he said, "For a blockbuster studio movie to grow 40% from Friday to Saturday on its opening weekend is almost unheard of. This movie is gaining incredible momentum."

Newmarket Films' "The Passion of the Christ" jumped 44% from Friday to Saturday on its opening weekend, while Paramount's unparalleled "Titanic" grew 23%. Shmuger went on to note that the same phenomenon is happening internationally, with Saturday grosses growing by 60% from Friday. "It's an atypical pattern, but it's undeniable and exciting to watch as it unfolds," he said.

"Kong" played fairly even in the gender demographic, skewing slightly more male, with 53% checking that box. The over- and under-25 age group was pretty balanced as well, with 45% in the under-25 group. "Kong" scored a high 92% in the top two boxes and was in the 70th%ile in the definite recommends.

A rival studio executive said the story is long from being written on "Kong."

"Once everybody is available to see this movie, it has a great chance to be a huge success at the boxoffice -- just not in the way that many in the industry had thought. This kind of film just has to have time to percolate."

Regarding "Stone" and its largely female audience, Fox president of domestic distribution Bruce Snyder said: "They are usually a tough audience to get out pre-Christmas, but they came out, so that really bodes well for the run. It's a great, great start." The budget for "Stone" was about $18 million.

Other films in limited release included the second weekend of the Weinstein Co.'s "Mrs. Henderson Presents," which pulled in an estimated $40,157 from six locales, raising the cume to $121,193, and the third frame of the distributor's "Transamerica," with an estimated $19,141 from three houses, moving the total to about $114,424.

Lumpyrock's "A Halfway House Christmas," an indie spoof on reality television, grossed an estimated $4,300 from one location and has collected about $7,300 to date.

The national boxoffice for the week ending Dec. 15, was up a stout 22% from the comparable seven-day period last year thanks to the stellar returns from "Narnia" and the midweek grosses from "Kong" ($179.5 million vs. $147.5 million). As a result, the year-to-date boxoffice deficit dropped a notch down to 5% ($8.34 billion vs. $8.82 billion). Estimated admissions for the year-to-date dropped a notch as well, moving down to 8% compared with 2004.