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Box Office Round-up: Scorsese's Departed Scores Record Debut, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Comes Second

Martin Scorsese's mob drama, “The Departed” took the lead in its opening weekend in box office with $US27 million, thus marking a new record opening for the great producer.

According to figures, "The Departed" estimated opening weekend earnings are three times higher then Scorsese's last film, The Aviator.

Warner Bross' distribution chief, Dan Fellman, thinks that the film owes its success to its extraordinary cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

"I think the cast was the deciding factor and the playability of the movie," Fellman said. "We had a special film here. We had the cast to drive it that way, and it worked out well."

The Departed is an American film remake of the popular Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs.

The action takes place in the heart of South Boston, where the Massachusetts State Police is waging war on the Irish Mob. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Nicholson).

While Costigan quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informant for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.

The second place in box office was taken Jonathan Liebesman 's prequel to New Line Cinema's 2003 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," with an estimated $US 19.15 million, closely followed by Sony's computer-animated film "Open Season," in the third place with, an estimated $US16 million.

The top ten in this weekend's box office are:

1. The Departed, $ 27 million

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, $19.15 million

3. Open Season, $ 16 million

4. Employee of the Month, $ 11.8 million

5. The Guardian, $ 9.6 million

6. Jackass Number Two, $ 6.4 million

7. School for Scoundrels, $ 3.4 million

8. Gridiron Gang, $ 2.3 million

9. Jet Li's Fearless, $ 2.2 million

10. The Illusionist, $ 1.8 million