Los Angeles ? Hannibal the Cannibal took a smaller bite of the box office this time.

“Red Dragon,” Anthony Hopkins’ third stab at serial killer Hannibal Lecter, debuted as the No. 1 film with $37.5 million, a healthy return but well below the $58 million “Hannibal” took in over opening weekend last year, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Still, “Red Dragon” had the best October debut ever, beating the $28.6 million opening of “Meet the Parents” in 2000.

Last weekend’s top film, “Sweet Home Alabama,” slipped to second place with $21.6 million, raising its 10-day total to $65.6 million.

The weekend’s only other new wide release, “Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie,” opened solidly at No. 6 with $6.5 million. It was the first theatrical installment based on the series of talking vegetables which retell Bible stories, in this case the tale of Jonah and the whale.

In its second weekend after a limited debut, the comic drama “Moonlight Mile” expanded to more theaters and broke into the top 10, grossing $2 million to hit No. 9. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon in the story of a prospective bridegroom who finds new romance after his fiance is murdered.

“Bloody Sunday,” a dramatization of a 1972 massacre in Northern Ireland, opened strongly in limited release, taking in $32,000 at two New York City theaters. “Heaven,” starring Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi in a dreamlike drama set in Italy’s drug underworld, premiered with a healthy $54,000 at four theaters. “Welcome to Collinwood,” a crime caper whose ensemble cast includes George Clooney, debuted with $82,000 at 16 theaters.

The overall box office rose for the fourth straight weekend after a two-month slump. The top 12 movies took in $103.2 million, up 24 percent from the same weekend last year, when “Training Day” opened.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “Red Dragon,” $37.5 million.

2. “Sweet Home Alabama,” $21.6 million.

3. “The Tuxedo,” $10.1 million.

4. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” $8.5 million.

5. “Barbershop,” $6.8 million.

6. “Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie,” $6.5 million.

7. “The Banger Sisters,” $3.6 million.

8. “The Four Feathers,” $2.1 million.

9. “Moonlight Mile,” $2 million.

10. “One Hour Photo,” $1.7 million.