Austin Highsmith is seen here in the role of Phoebe in Alcon Entertainment’s family adventure, “Dolphin Tale".
LOS ANGELES—”Dolphin Tale,” a feel-good family film about a boy who helps a dolphin get a prosthetic tail, made the biggest weekend splash at North American box offices, industry data showed Sunday.
The movie starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr., which is based on a real story of a dolphin saved by a biologist and a young boy, netted $14.2 million, according to preliminary data from Exhibitor Relations.
“Moneyball,” a sports drama starring Brad Pitt as a baseball coach, was in the number two spot, taking in $12.5 million.
“Lion King – 3D” was stripped of the top spot but still raked in $11.1 million in its third week. It has earned $79.7 million so far in re-release.
New films were in the fourth and fifth spots: “50/50”, a comedy about a 27-year-old man’s battle against cancer, which brought in $8.84 million. “Courageous,” a police drama, brought in $8.8 million.
“Dream House,” a thriller starring real-life couple Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, was in the sixth spot with $8.2 million.
“Abduction,” a thriller with “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner, was in seventh place with $5.65 million in earnings.
“What’s Your Number,” the Anna Faris comedy about her search among her exes for the love of her life, came in eighth place with $5.6 million.
“Contagion,” the Steven Soderbergh film starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, was in the number nine spot, earning $5.0 million. And “Killer Elite” was in 10th place earning $4.85 million.