LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- STX's comedy film "The Upside" topped North American box office with an estimated 19.59 million U.S. dollars in its debut weekend, dethroning superhero film "Aquaman" which had claimed the top spot for three straight weekends.
Directed by Neil Burger, "The Upside" is a remake of 2011's French film "The Intouchables." The film stars Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston among others. Hart confirmed recently that he would not be this year's Oscars host following controversy over past homophobic comments. The plot of the film follows a paralyzed billionaire who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a recently paroled convict whom he hires to take care of him. It's the first No. 1 opening of STX studio.
Receiving mixed reviews, "The Upside" earned an "A" from moviegoers on CinemaScore but only a 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes to date.
Warner Bros.' "Aquaman" dropped to second place with an estimated 17.26 million dollars in its fourth weekend, pushing its North American total to 287.86 million dollars through Sunday, according to studio figures collected by measurement firm Comscore. The tentpole jumped the 1-billion-U.S.-dollar mark at the global box office this weekend.
Directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa, the film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry. As the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, Curry must step forward to lead his people against his half-brother who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against the surface world.
Three of the top five were released by Sony this weekend. Sony's family adventure film "A Dog's Way Home" opened in third place with an estimated 11.3 million dollars. Directed by Charles Martin Smith, the film follows a dog named Bella who travels more than 400 miles to find her owner.
Sony's superhero film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" landed in fourth place with an estimated 9 million dollars in its fifth weekend for a North American cume of 147.77 million dollars. Based on the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales, the film follows teen Morales in a universe where more than one Spider-Man exists. Inspired by Spider-Man's sacrifice, Morales becomes one of many Spider-Men and must team up with the others to save New York City from a supervillain, the Kingpin.
Sony's psychological thriller "Escape Room" finished fifth with an estimated 8.9 million dollars in its second weekend. Directed by Adam Robitel, the film follows six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die.
