‘Bourne’ sequel eclipses original

“The Bourne Supremacy,” a post-Cold War spy thriller, took in $53.5 million over the weekend -- double the opening weekend gross of “The Bourne Identity,” which came out in June 2002. The tally exceeded the openings for any James Bond film or any based on a Tom Clancy book.

“Catwoman,” however, turned out not to have very sharp claws, despite the presence of Halle Berry in the title role. The movie didn’t even crack $20 million, taking in an estimated $17.2 million over the three-day stretch. The last movie Berry carried as star, the modestly budgeted genre-thriller “Gothika,” opened with $19.3 million late last fall.

Nikki Rocco, president of distribution for Universal Pictures, suspects “The Bourne Supremacy” did so well because of the popularity of the original, which took in $121.7 million domestically, and because it’s a plot-driven vehicle with a popular protagonist in a special effects-laden marketplace.

“Matt Damon is far more real than your typical Bond hero,” she says. “And he’s younger, which is why we have a strong core audience under 30. Ninety-two percent of the audience saw the original, an extended version of which was the No. 1 DVD last week.”