By David Germain
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Serious film proved no match for a daredevil and a big old frat party.

BOX OFFICE TOP 10

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released today. 1. Daredevil, $18.9 million. 2. Old School, $17.5 million. 3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, $11.9 million. 4. The Jungle Book 2, $8.6 million. 5. Chicago, $8.5 million. 6. The Life of David Gale, $7.2 million. 7. Shanghai Knights, $6.4 million. 8. Gods and Generals, $4.8 million. 9. Dark Blue, $3.75 million. 10. The Recruit, $3.5 million.

Ben Affleck's superhero adventure Daredevil remained the No. 1 movie for the second straight weekend with $18.9 million, pushing its 10-day total to $70.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Old School, starring former Saturday Night Live comedian Will Ferrell with Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson as thirtysomething partiers who form a college fraternity, debuted a close second with $17.5 million.

A rush of heavy new dramas had modest to weak openings. The Life of David Gale, starring Kevin Spacey as a capital-punishment opponent who lands on death row, was No. 6 with $7.2 million.

The Civil War epic Gods and Generals, debuted at No. 8 with $4.8 million. Dark Blue, with Kurt Russell in a police thriller set in the days leading up to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, opened in ninth place with $3.75 million.

Hollywood had a solid weekend overall, with the top 12 movies grossing $96.2 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend last year.

Daredevil is poised to become the first movie released in 2003 to top $100 million. The musical Chicago continued to trade on its leading 13 Academy Awards nominations, coming in at No. 5 with $8.5 million.