LOS ANGELES — He's not only the eighth wonder of the world, but the No. 1 draw at the holiday box office as well.

A Sunday night surge gave Universal's "King Kong" the needed push for the No. 1 spot over the Friday-through-Monday period with $31.4 million, edging Buena Vista's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by $300,000.

The box office lead shifted back and forth all last week. "King Kong," the classic tale of the giant ape brought back to New York City by a promoter who declares him the eighth wonder of the world, finally prevailed.

"There's only so much room. I think crowded is the fair term to describe the marketplace right now," Universal Pictures Vice Chairman Marc Shmuger said Monday, noting overall box office was up 20 percent over the weekend compared with the previous weekend.

Sony's "Fun With Dick and Jane" was third with $23.5 million.

1. "King Kong," $31.4 million.

2. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," $30.1 million.

3. "Fun With Dick and Jane," $23.5 million.

4. "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," $14.8 million.

5. "The Family Stone," $10.9 million.

6. "Memoirs of a Geisha," $10.2 million.

7. "The Ringer," $8.4 million.

8. "Rumor Has It," $7.5 million.

9. "Wolf Creek," $5.9 million.

10. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," $5.7 million.