Ice Age at the Top

The animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown" froze out its rivals at the box office, selling about $114 million worth of tickets in North America and a slew of foreign territories during its first three days of release, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday. The sequel cost about $80 million to make, up from its original estimate of $65 million, because Fox sped up production to 14 to 18 months instead of the usual 18 to 24 months, in order to get the movie in theaters before a rush of summer cartoons, such as the June 9 entry "Cars" from Walt Disney Co.'s Pixar Animation Studios Inc. Until "Ice Age: The Meltdown," the biggest three-day opening this year in North America had been recorded by the comedy "Madea's Family Reunion," with $30 million in February. "Ice Age: The Meltdown" earned more than the combined total of the other movies in the top 10. Sharon Stone bombed again, this time with "Basic Instinct 2," the belated sequel to her 1992 hit. The erotic thriller earned just $3.2 million, said distributor Columbia Pictures, tying at No. 10 with Lionsgate's comedy "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector."