LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn aimed low and came up on top of the weekend box office in North America, as their raunchy comedy "Dodgeball" knocked down presumptive champions, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, the aptly titled "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" sold $30 million worth of tickets since opening on June 18. "The Terminal," director Spielberg's latest collaboration with Hanks, followed with a disappointing $18.7 million for the three-day period.

Fortunately for Oscar-winners Spielberg and Hanks, a more expensive new arrival did even worse. The Jackie Chan remake "Around the World in 80 Days," reportedly budgeted at $110 million, opened at No. 9 with just $6.8 million for the weekend. The film was financed by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz as part of a plan to make family-friendly projects.

Unfortunately for him and domestic distributor Walt Disney Co., the low-concept antics of "Dodgeball" held more appeal. The $20 million sports satire stars Vaughn and Stiller as leaders of rival teams vying for a $50,000 prize.

"Dodgeball" was "huge beyond expectations," said Bruce Snyder of Twentieth Century Fox, which had hoped to match the production budget. "People were ready to laugh."

Twentieth Century Fox is a unit of News Corp.'s Fox Entertainment Group Inc .

HANKS STRANDED AGAIN

With a much stronger pedigree, industry observers had expected "The Terminal" to open with about $30 million. It was budgeted at about $60 million. Hanks, most recently in theaters with the disappointing remake of "The Ladykillers," plays an eastern European traveler stranded in an airport lounge when the U.S. government refuses to recognize the visa of his strife-torn homeland. Catherine Zeta-Jones also stars.

"Smart, high-concept movies can be difficult to open, but they often play very well (in subsequent weeks)," said Jim Tharp, president of distribution at closely held DreamWorks, in which Spielberg is a partner.

Disney officials said they had hoped "80 Days" would open in the $10 million range, but could offer no explanation for its failure. "We'll continue to support it and see where we take it," said Chuck Viane, president of domestic distribution. Executives for Anschutz' Walden Media production banner were unavailable for comment. Since opening on Wednesday, the film has earned $9.6 million.

Family movies rounded out the top five. The champion for the previous two weekends, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," slipped to No. 3 with $17.4 million, followed by "Shrek 2" with $13.6 million and "Garfield: The Movie" with $11.0 million.

With $378.3 million after five weekends, DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" now ranks as the sixth-highest-grossing movie of all time, surpassing "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Tharp expected it to finish near $425 million.

The third installment in Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" franchise has earned $190.3 million after three weekends, while Fox's "Garfield" has earned $42 million after two weekends. Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc .

Overall business was slow, according to box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations. The top 12 movies grossed about $126.9 million, down 17 percent from last weekend, and down 10 percent from a year ago.