By David Germain
The Associated Press

Matt Damon has found supremacy at the box office.

Damon's The Bourne Supremacy, the sequel about the assassin he played in The Bourne Identity, debuted as the top weekend movie with sales of $53.5 million, according to estimates Sunday.

Halle Berry's critically derided comic-book adaptation Catwoman opened third with $17.16 million.

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 was No. 7 with $5 million, lifting its domestic total to $103.35 million, the first documentary to top $100 million.

Universal Studios made The Bourne Supremacy for about $75 million, a bargain in a business where many summer thrillers cost $100 million or more.

"Making this film at a reasonable budget by today's standards just is something else to celebrate," said Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution.

Catwoman, which cost a bit less than $100 million to make, was a disappointment for distributor Warner Bros.

"I was hoping it would open up with a few more dollars in the bank," said Dan Fellman, Warner's head of distribution. "We'll have to see how we hold up during the week."

Fahrenheit 9/11, produced for just $6 million, stands with Mel Gibson's religious blockbuster The Passion of the Christ as the year's big box-office surprises.

Disney refused to let subsidiary Miramax release Moore's assault on President Bush over the Sept. 11 attacks, so Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein bought the film back and lined up independent distribution. But while Disney chief Michael Eisner said Fahrenheit 9/11 was too political for the company, he recently said he saw it and liked it.

"The reason it is a hit is it's entertaining," Eisner said. "I thought it was like going to a rock concert. I loved it, but not in a political (sense)."

The top 10 Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. The Bourne Supremacy, $53.5 million.

2. I, Robot, $22.05 million.

3. Catwoman, $17.16 million.

4. Spider-Man 2, $15 million.

5. A Cinderella Story, $8.04 million.

6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, $7.1 million.

7. Fahrenheit 9/11, $5 million.

8. The Notebook, $4.45 million.

9. King Arthur, $3.06 million.

10. Shrek 2, $2.4 million.