Willis Blockbuster Beats Blair Witch

It was a close shave but the big-budget blockbuster The Sixth Sense has beaten the independent mock-doc Blair Witch Project into second place Stateside, boasting the the biggest US August opening of all time. Bruce Willis takes the lead in his most sensitive role to date, as a child psychologist who helps a boy who talks to the dead. The softer approach has been an out and out success at the box office in the U.S. with The Sixth Sense taking a record $25.8 million in its first weekend. Critics had been suggesting shoestring budget cult flick, The Blair Witch Project might just fend off Willis and The Sixth Sense, but despite its impressive takings of $24.3 million and a total of around $80 million it was beaten into second place. The previous record holder for August takings was The Fugitive which opened in 1993 to $23.7 million.