LOS ANGELES - Will Smith has the summer crowd well programmed.

Smith's sci-fi thriller "I, Robot" was his latest No. 1 July debut, opening with $52.25 million and bumping "Spider-Man 2" from the top spot at the weekend box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.

If the numbers hold when final figures are released Monday, "I, Robot" would be Smith's best debut ever, coming in just ahead of "Independence Day," "Men in Black" and "Men in Black II," all July premieres that opened in the $50 million to $52 million range.

"My God, this guy opens movies," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox, which released "I, Robot." "He's just so likable, he takes something like science fiction, which can be a little cold, and he makes it warm and entertaining."

The weekend's other new wide release, Hilary Duff's romance "A Cinderella Story," premiered in third place with $13.8 million.

"I, Robot," inspired by the short-story collection of Isaac Asimov, stars Smith as a police detective in 2035 who suspects a robot has committed a murder.

1. "I, Robot," $52.25 million.

2. "Spider-Man 2," $24.2 million.

3. "A Cinderella Story," $13.8 million

4. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," $13.4 million.

5. "Fahrenheit 9/11," $7 million.

6. "King Arthur," $6.9 million.

7. "The Notebook," $5.45 million.

8. "White Chicks," $3.4 million.

9. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $3.2 million.

10. "The Terminal," $3.1 million.