CORRECTED: "Superbad" rushes to super spot at U.S. box off

(Refiling to clarifying roles in paragraph 12) By Bernie Woodall

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Raunchy coming-of-age comedy "Superbad" topped the weekend North American box office and broke the record for a movie opening in late August, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.

"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.

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" 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.

"Superbad" displaced "Mortal Kombat" as the top money maker film to debut after August 15, according to Bruer. "Mortal Kombat" opened on August 18, 1995, and grossed $23 million in its first weekend.

"Superbad," made by Sony unit Columbia Pictures, cost $20 million to make, Bruer said, adding, "This movie is going to be around a while. ... This movie will play well into the fall."

"Superbad" is the second blockbuster in a row for producer Judd Apatow and its co-writer/star Seth Rogen. Apatow directed this summer's surprise hit comedy, "Knocked Up," while Rogen starred in it.

Coming in third was "The Bourne Ultimatum," the latest installment in the espionage-action Jason Bourne series. It took in $19 million in its third week of release.