The China Mail - 'Superman' triumphs once again at N.American box office

Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned $57.3 million in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said.

That puts its North American take at $235 million and its international sales at $171 million -- or $406 million globally.

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" -- the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga -- also held its ground in second place at $23.4 million. Its worldwide total stands at $647.2 million.

The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets -- and genetically mutated dinosaurs -- are lurking.

"I Know What You Did Last Summer," a sequel to two 1990s slasher hits that bring back the franchise's original stars Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, opened in third place at a disappointing $13 million.

"This is another horror series returning after a long layoff, in this case after 27 years," said industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

"Generally, the layoffs don't bother these films; in fact, they get stronger... that's not happening here."

"Smurfs," the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, opened in a lackluster fourth place with $11 million in North American ticket sales.

"F1: The Movie," the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, finished in fifth place at $9.6 million.

"The current lineup in theaters is strong, with a broad selection of big titles including superheroes, action, monsters, horror and animation," said Gross.

"Superman" will soon get a new superhero rival when Marvel's hotly anticipated "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" starring Pedro Pascal hits theaters in the coming days.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"How to Train Your Dragon" ($5.4 million)

"Eddington" ($4.3 million)

"Elio" ($2.0 million)

"Lilo & Stitch" ($1.5 million)

"28 Years Later" ($1.3 million)

W.Cheng--ThChM