‘Act of Valor’ captures North American box office

LOS ANGELES — “Act of Valor,” a war film starring active duty US Navy SEALs, took control of the North American box office on its debut weekend with $24.7 million in earnings, preliminary figures showed Sunday.

The elite troops who call themselves “the quiet professionals” took a turn as leading men on the big screen, reciting lines from a script as they race to prevent terrorists attacking the United States, and in the process blowing away the box office competition, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

US defense officials did not find out about the movie until after the fact, causing consternation at the Pentagon, which has an office that vets scripts and negotiates cooperation deals with Hollywood producers.

In second was another newcomer, drama comedy “Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds,” which made $16 million in receipts, just ahead of “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” a family-friendly 3D adventure starring former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, with $13.4 million.

In fourth place was CIA-based thriller “Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, which earned $11.3 million over the weekend, just passing romantic drama “The Vow,” which made $10 million.

The tearjerker movie stars Rachel McAdams as a newlywed who loses her memory in an accident, with husband Channing Tatum fighting to win back her heart.

“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” starring Nicolas Cage as the devil’s bounty hunter, came in sixth place in its second weekend in theaters, taking $8.8 million.

The movie is a 3D sequel to a 2007 movie also starring Cage that first brought the motorcycle-riding Marvel Comics character with a flaming head to the big screen.

In seventh place was “This Means War,” a comedy about two CIA operatives in love with the same woman, with $8.5 million, followed by new release “Wanderlust” starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd as New Yorkers who move to a rural commune, bringing in $6.6 million.

Another debut, suspense thriller “Gone,” came in ninth with $5 million in earnings, ahead of the tenth spot “The Secret World Of Arrietty,” a Japanese animated film based on the children’s book “The Borrowers,” which made $4.5 million in earnings.