By DAVID GERMAIN LOS ANGELES - Denzel Washington's reunion with Spike Lee put them on the inside track at the box office. Their bank-hostage thriller "Inside Man," an unusually commercial project for director Lee, debuted as the No.

Audiences were in a rebellious mood, lifting the action tale "V for Vendetta" to the top spot at the weekend box office with a $26.1 million debut. The Warner Bros.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The futuristic terrorist thriller "V For Vendetta" blew up its rivals at the weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.

The new sci-fi action thriller "V for Vendetta" should emerge victorious at the weekend box office, industry observers believe.

By John DeFore AUSTIN, Texas (Hollywood Reporter) - In a political environment that can brew controversy out of allegorical children's fables or a documentary about penguins, it is hard to imagine the intensity of feeling that will greet "V for Vendetta," a movie whose heroes are terrorists.