‘Oblivion’ Claims Top Spot At Weekend Box Office

The Tom Cruise sci-fi flick Oblivion has claimed the top spot at the box office over the weekend.

The latest effort from TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski pulled in a tidy $38.2 million since its release on Friday. These numbers reflect the business the film generated when it opened in select theaters on Thursday evening.

Oblivion marks a return to form for star Tom Cruise, who has watched as his past few endeavors have failed to earn the sort of money the Hollywood A-lister is accustomed to bringing in. Both Rock of Ages and Jack Reacher were considered box office disappointments in North America.

Although Adam Shankman’s musical tanked around the world, Christopher McQuarrie’s adaptation of Lee Child’s novel One Shot managed to connect with audiences in foreign markets. The film would go on to make around $136 million overseas. This has prompted the suits at Paramount to reconsider a sequel.

Kosinski’s Oblivion has also found a foothold in foreign markets. The film has already earned a solid $112 million overseas, bringing the film’s international total to an estimated $150 million. This figure has already surpassed the movie’s estimated $120 million production budget.

Universal’s Nikki Rocco told the Los Angeles Times that Cruise’s appeal helped bring moviegoers into theaters.

“An original concept did this well? It’s like we’re in church and bells are going off. Tom Cruise is charismatic and a great actor, and people recognize that,” she remarked.

Coming in at a distant second was writer-director Brian Helgeland’s baseball drama 42. The film, which follows Jackie Robinson’s historic signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, pulled in $18 million over the past three days. This brings the flick’s box office total to $54 million.

The DreamWorks comedy The Croods continued to perform well; the flick made an additional $9.5 million over the weekend. This brings its international total to an impressive $397 million. Scary Movie 5 ($6.3 million) and G.I. Joe: Retalation ($5.8 million) rounded out the top five.

The top 10 films are listed below.

1. Oblivion – $38.2 million
2. 42 – $18 million
3. The Croods – $9.5 million
4. Scary Movie 5 – $6.3 million
5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – $5.8 million
6. The Place Beyond the Pines – $4.7 million
7. Evil Dead – $4.1 million
8. Olympus Has Fallen – $4.5 million
9. Jurassic Park 3D – $4 million
10. Oz The Great and Powerful – $3 million

Did you catch Oblivion in theaters? What do you think about this weekend’s box office results?