The headline writers are having a field day with the box-office success of Charlie's Angels over Little Nicky, in which Adam Sandler plays the devil's son. USA Today: "Sandler's 'Nicky bedeviled by Angels." AP: "The angels banished the demons at the box office." Hollywood Reporter: "Angels blessed with pearly gate." Inside magazine: "Angels Steal Sandler's Pitchfork." That the Sandler movie failed to open at No. 1 appeared to stun many box office analysts, who had confidently predicted that it would trounce the competition, despite largely dismal reviews. Instead it grossed an estimated $18.1 million against $25.4 million for Angels. "Sandler's first big-budget movie was a surprising -- perhaps even shocking -- runner-up in its debut," today's (Monday) Los Angeles Times commented. The Associated Press observed that the $18.1 million take could only be considered "so-so" in light of the $41.5 million that Sandler's The Waterboy took in when it opened in 1998 and the $39.4 million that Big Daddy earned in its debut last year. The biggest disappointment, however, may have been the $9-million debut of Warner Bros.' Red Planet, which is likely to look red indeed on the company's ledgers given its estimated $80-million cost. Another newcomer, 20th Century Fox's Men of Honor, starring Cuba Gooding Jr., opened in third place with $14.1 million.
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Charlie's Angels, $25 million;
2. Little Nicky, $18.1 million;
3. Men of Honor, $14 million;
4. Meet the Parents, $10.6 million;
5. Red Planet, $9 million;
6. The Legend of Bagger Vance, $6.6 million;
7. Remember the Titans, $5.5 million;
8. Pay It Forward, $3.1 million;
9. Billy Elliot, $2.8 million;
10. Bedazzled, $2.5 million.

Source: Studio Briefing