According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Cruise's portrait of a steely hit man in Michael Mann's Collateral drew top honors this weekend. With guns blazing, the moody, nighttime thriller, released domestically by DreamWorks, grossed an estimated $24.4 million -- on a par with Cruise's previous R-rated openings.

But the weekend's other new wide release, Sony Pictures' Little Black Book, starring Brittany Murphy, failed to charm many moviegoers, opening in fifth place with a less-than-sparkling estimated $7 million.

Last weekend's top opener, Buena Vista's The Village, claimed the second spot but dropped precipitously during its sophomore session, losing 67% of its opening draw.

Audiences looking for scares did, however, flock to Lions Gate Releasing's shark-infested flick, Open Water. The film's limited release in 47 theaters hooked about $1.04 million for a per-theater average of $22,021.

Dont't forget to also check out: Collateral