The Scorsese's "The Departed," which held steady at No. 2 with $13.7 million in its third weekend.
Industry observers had expected a closer battle between the two newcomers, with some predicting "Flags of our Fathers" could come out on top. On the other hand "The Prestige" -- in more theaters, and boasted the star power of Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, as well as Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and rock star David Bowie.
"Flags," which features a largely unknown cast playing the troops depicted raising the U.
S. flag in the iconic photo from Iwo Jima, was released in 1,876 theaters by Paramount Pictures, which inherited the project with its acquisition of DreamWorksSKG.
Its opening was within the expectations of the Viacom Inc.
-owned studio, which looked for guidance from the first ($10.4 million) and "Million Dollar Baby" ($12 million).
"The Prestige" was released in 2,281 theaters by Walt Disney Co.
's Touchstone Pictures. It follows the rivalry from one part of the stage to another. It's the second magician period piece in recent months, following "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton, which has earned $37 million after 10 weeks.
"The Departed" has earned $77.2 million after three weeks, and is on course to reach $120 million, according to distributor Warner Bros. Pictures, a unit of Time Warner Inc.
Scorsese's best performer to date is 2004's "The Aviator," which ended up with $103 million.
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