`DOUBLE JEOPARDY' CHOKE-HOLDS `HEARTS'.

Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer

Revenge edged out romance at the nation's multiplexes as ``Double Jeopardy'' topped ``Random Hearts'' for the top box office slot with an estimated $13.6 million at 2,913 theaters during a healthy Friday-Sunday period, studio sources said Sunday.

``Jeopardy,'' starring Ashley Judd as a wife framed for her husband's faked murder, racked up its third consecutive victory as it lost only 20 percent from the previous weekend. The Paramount release has grossed $65.8 million in 17 days and could hit $100 million by the end of its run.

``This film is continuing to play very well throughout the country,'' industry tracker Arthur Rockwell said. ``It's really connected with Middle America.''

The ongoing popularity of ``Double Jeopardy'' was a key in keeping Sony's ``Random Hearts'' out of first place, where many trackers expected it to open based on the appeal of leading man Harrison Ford. ``Hearts,'' which also stars Kristin Scott Thomas, took in $13.1 million at 2,697 theaters as it debuted amid reviews that were mixed at best.

Sony reported the film played well in upscale markets in large cities, including Los Angeles, and drew a predominantly adult crowd.

``The opening for `Random Hearts' is not too shabby, but Ford's core audience is action fans, and men were just not interested in seeing him like this,'' said Robert Bucksbaum, president of the Reel Source forecasting service. ``It also had to compete for the date crowd with `Double Jeopardy.' ''

Rockwell said ``Random Hearts,'' in which the stars discover their dead spouses were having an affair before dying in a plane crash, has a somewhat limited audience.

``The movie feels almost like it's from a different era,'' he added. ``It goes to prove audiences do care about the material and not just the stars.''

Warner Bros.' second weekend of ``Three Kings'' came in third with $11.7 million at 2,942 theaters as the well-reviewed Gulf War drama lost only 25 percent from its opening weekend.

Another critical favorite, ``American Beauty,'' followed in fourth with $9.2 million at 1,226 theaters as DreamWorks added 520 locations as it continued to maneuver the offbeat comedy as a potential Academy Awards contender.

Distribution chief Jim Tharp said the studio has no plans to expand ``Beauty'' further for now, and Bucksbaum predicted the film, which has nearly $31 million overall, could play well into next year and hit the $85 million mark. ``I think they're keeping the number of theaters low right now so the movie will stay fresh in the minds of Academy voters,'' he added.

Paramount's opening of ``Superstar,'' the latest in the long line of ``Saturday Night Live'' spin-offs, posted respectable returns in fifth with $9 million at 1,943. The project, with Molly Shannon playing her Mary Katherine Gallagher character, should quickly move into the black since it cost a reportedly $14 million to make, a bargain-basement price.

With five films taking in at least $9 million, the overall box office continued its impressive fall-season performance as it hit $90 million, up 20 percent over the same weekend last year. The year-to-date total has gone past $5.6 billion and leads the same period of 1998 by 8 percent.

A pair of solid holdovers took the sixth and seventh spots with Disney's 10th weekend of ``The Sixth Sense'' grossing $5.9 million at 2,784 theaters and Sony's fourth weekend of ``Blue Streak'' with $5.5 million at 2,591. ``Sense'' has grossed $242.5 million to replace ``Raiders of the Lost Ark'' as the 15th highest domestic grosser of all time, and ``Blue Streak'' has hit $55 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were 20th Century Fox's second weekend of ``Drive Me Crazy'' with $3.8 million at 2,234 theaters as the romantic comedy dropped 44 percent, followed by Sony's second weekend of ``The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland'' with $2.2 million at 1,210 sites and Universal's fourth weekend of ``For Love of the Game'' with $2.1 million at 2,414 locations. Disney's second weekend of ``Mystery, Alaska'' nearly vanished in 11th with $1.7 million at 1,704 theaters.

TOP MOVIES

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters:

1. ``Double Jeopardy,'' $13.6 million.

2. ``Random Hearts,'' $13.1 million.

3. ``Three Kings,'' $11.7 million.

4. ``American Beauty,'' $9.2 million.

5. ``Superstar,'' $9 million.

6. ``The Sixth Sense,'' $5.9 million.

7. ``Blue Streak, $5.5 million.

8. ``Drive Me Crazy,'' $3.8 million.

9. ``Elmo in Grouchland,'' $2.2 million.

10. ``For Love of the Game,'' $2.1 million.

CAPTION(S):

Box

Box: TOP MOVIES (See text)