The Ghost Is Ridin’ High

Movie Critics may have panned it and some have even hated it, but fans of the new Nicolas Cage flick “Ghost Rider” are loving it, propelling the film into the number one slot for the second weekend in a role trouncing out its main competition from Jim Carrey’s “The Number 23.”

If you were placing bets this weekend in Vegas on Carrey’s movie walking all over the Ghost, then you went home with your pants pockets turned inside out and empty.

“Ghost Rider” racked up another $19.1 million to add to the $52 million it got last weekend to place it in the solid lead over every other new entry. Carrey’s psychological thriller “The Number 23″ came in at $4 mil less, garnering $15.1 million.

The other three films in the top 5 were the big screen debut of the Comedy Central Network’s “Reno 911!: Miami” at $10.4 million, Eddie Murphy’s “Norbit” held in there at number 5 drawing an additional $9.7 million to its bankroll and finally, slipping into third place is the children’s fantasy “Bridge to Terabithia” racking up another $13.6 million to its ever-growing tally.

The wonderful feel-good Billy Bob Thornton film “Astronaut Farmer,” which brought home $4.5 million made it into the Top 10.

We will have the final weekend figures for the full Top 10 films in U.S. Box Office later this week.