By Carl DiOrio

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Warner Bros. finally unveiled Sept. 11 victim "Collateral Damage" this weekend, and the Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner captured the box office flag with an estimated $15.2 million in three-day grosses.

The Universal family comedy "Big Fat Liar" and MGM action remake "Rollerball" finished second and third with bows of $11.7 million and $9 million, respectively.

Industrywide, the weekend's total $100 million in estimated grosses was off 22% from a year ago, when blockbuster sequel "Hannibal" swelled numbers. The latest weekend was hindered by competition from TV coverage of the Winter Olympics (news - web sites), including Friday night's highly rated telecast of opening ceremonies.

Year-to-date, 2002 is off 2% from a year ago at $910 million in total grosses, according to data from box office tracker ACNielsen EDI.

Limp box office in the latest session is also traceable to flaccid performances from recent releases.

Among last weekend's bows, the Screen Gems college comedy slid 61% to $1.1 million, as its 10-day total rose to a slack $4.8 million. And Miramax's Nicole Kidman starrer "Birthday Girl" tumbled 55% in its second week, also grossing $1.1 million for a $4.2 million haul.

But Warners executives were pleased that "Collateral" showed few signs of damage from its months-long delay due to content sensitivities.

"Arnold's back," said Dan Fellman, the studio's distribution president. "He's No. 1."

Universal brass was also chuffed over the "Liar" performance.

"We're all so thrilled," distribution president Nikki Rocco said. "This is a little film that's going to do a lot of business."

Produced for an estimated $15 million, "Liar" drew a mostly parents-with-kids crowd. "Probably 60% of the audience was under 13," Rocco estimated.

"Rollerball" was a different story. Though MGM reduced its exposure via foreign-rights sales, the picture still cost a pretty penny to produce. The actioner was delayed from a scheduled August bow to allow re-editing for younger audiences, and then was skewered by critics.

A couple of wide releases hoping for further marketing bang from possible Oscar nominations Tuesday finished in the top ten again this weekend.

Sony's military drama "Black Hawk Down" was No. 4 on the frame with an estimated $8 million to fly to $86.7 million. And Universal's "A Beautiful Mind" grossed $5.8 million in seventh place, boosting its tally to $112.8 million.

In a limited bow this weekend, Goldwyn/IDP debuted Korean-language "Shiri" with seven engagements in five markets to gross an estimated $31,500, or an acceptable $4,500 per playdate. The actioner is scheduled to expand in two weeks.

Elsewhere among specialty titles, Lions Gate's Billy Bob Thornton-Halle Berry starrer "Monsters Ball" got its first big expansion this weekend, adding 312 theaters for a total 341 and grossing $2.3 million.

That was good for a weekend-best $6,745 per venue. The prison drama, which many say could figure in Academy nominations Tuesday, unspools in another 100 locations Friday.

Busy Miramax broadened its Sissy Spacek starrer "In the Bedroom" by 189 theaters to a total 737 and grossed an estimated $1.7 million, or a sleepy $2,238 per screen. The studio hopes Tuesday's announcement will reawaken interest in the family drama -- which boasts a $19.2 million domestic gross to date -- and plans to widen run to 1,000 venues by month's end.

Miramax's French-language "Amelie" expanded 30 engagements for a total 303 and fetched an estimated $700,000, or just $2,310 per playdate. But the whimsical laffer -- which figures in foreign best-picture handicapping -- boasts impressive an impressive total of $24.6 million.

The studio's Danish-language "Italian for Beginners" added one theater for a total 15 and grossed an estimated $132,000, or a fluent $8,800 per venue. Its total reached $486,408.

And Miramax's Italian-language "The Son's Room" widened twoengagements to seven and grossed $46,000, or a sturdy $6,571 average. Its total rose to $114,411.

Fine Line's Todd Solondz-helmed "Storytelling" added 33 theaters for a total 38 and grossed an estimated $150,000, or $3,950 per venue. Haul-to-date: $333,000.

Universal Focus expanded its French-language "Brotherhood of the Wolf" by 12 playdates to 405 and grossed an estimated $1.1 million, or $2,875 per engagement. The actioner has $8.6 million in the bag, with the studio expecting a $10 million domestic run in total.

Reuters/Variety

The top movies in North America -- February 8-10

Mon Feb 11, 5:47 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Following are the final data for the top 10 movies at the North American box office during the February 8-10 weekend, according to studio figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Film Three-day Cumulative

Title Gross Gross

1. Collateral Damage .......... $15,058,432

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $15,058,432

2. Big Fat Liar .......... $11,554,015

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $11,554,015

3. Rollerball .......... $9,013,548

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $9,013,548

4. Black Hawk Down .......... $8,003,621

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $86,716,746

5. Snow Dogs .......... $7,178,790

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $59,914,940

6. The Count of Monte Cristo .......... $6,455,196

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $32,361,185

7. A Beautiful Mind .......... $6,304,800

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $113,271,766

8. A Walk To Remember .......... $5,542,525

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $30,297,954

9. The Mothman Prophecies .......... $4,870,476

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $28,002,044

10. I Am Sam .......... $4,619,148

BOX OFFICE SO FAR: $23,843,342

Reuters/Variety

John L.: