SUBMITTED BY Timbo

March 19, 2004 — Will "Dawn of the Dead" topple "The Passion of the Christ" from the top position at the box office?

As of Wednesday, "Passion" had pulled in more than $273 million. Having earned $32.1 million last weekend, a 40% decline this weekend -- still a tenacious hold -- would see "Passion" attracting another $19 million-plus.

That scenario could leave room for "Dawn of the Dead" to rise to the top spot. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Zack Snyder, "Dawn" reprises the premise of George Romero's classic in which a handful of embattled survivors are trapped in a suburban shopping mall surrounded by hungry zombies. The target audience for the R-rated flick are younger, thrill-seeking males -- and a multiethnic cast that includes Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber and Mekhi Phifer should also lure in urban audiences.

Horror genre fans are a loyal lot. Last October, New Line Cinema opened its remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in 3,106 locations to $28 million. However, zombies may not have quite the appeal of chain saw-weilding maniacs, and tracking suggests "Dawn of the Dead," which is rising in 2,744 locales, could perform more like "Jeepers Creepers 2" and "Resident Evil," which bowed to $15 million and $18 million, respectively. However, if "Dawn" does bust out and hit the $20 million mark, then it will go mano a mano with "Passion."

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