The raunchy coming-of-age comedy Superbad opened big at the box office this past weekend, in fact bigger than any other movie that has opened in late August. Reuters reports:

"Superbad" grossed $31.2 million, breaking a 12-year-old record for movies that opened after August 15, said Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony Pictures. . . .

"Superbad" displaced "Mortal Kombat" as the top money maker film to debut after August 15, according to Bruer.

The film about two nerdy high school buddies looking for booze and girls unseated last week’s top earner, "Rush Hour 3," a buddy film about two hapless cops.

Rush Hour 3 is still going strong, however, as the Reuters article reports:

"Rush Hour 3" came in second with $21.8 million for New Line Cinema, down 49 percent from its opening weekend. It has grossed a total of $88.2 million since its debut on August 10.

Because it did not have expensive stars, computer effects, or settings, Superbad cost approximately $20 million dollars to produce, a relatively miniscule amount for a Hollywood release.

The Invasion, another remake of the 1950s space alien film directed by Don Siegel, came in fifth, bringing on only $6 million despite the presence of big (and expensive) stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (the current James Bond).