‘Super 8’ debuts at top of US box office

LOS ANGELES—The sci-fi thriller “Super 8” opened at number one at the North American box office this weekend, grossing $35.5 million over three days, industry data showed Monday.

Directed by JJ Abrams, the horror movie takes place in a small Ohio town where a group of friends witnesses a train wreck while making a home movie. Shortly after the crash, inexplicable events and disappearances begin to occur.

Knocked off the top spot was “X-Men: First Class” which earned $24.1 million for second place.

After the prequel’s second week it has earned a total of $98 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

“The Hangover: Part II” is in third place for estimated weekend sales, with $17.7 million earnings this weekend and a total of $215.7 million domestically over three weeks.

The financial heavyweight for the summer so far is “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which has netted $887 million worldwide in five weeks and a projected $10.9 million in the US this weekend, for fifth spot.

The other film to open in the top ten this week was “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer,” in seventh place with $6.1 million.

In fourth place, the cartoon sequel “Kung Fu Panda 2” raked in $16.5 million over the weekend and the comedy “Bridesmaids” came in sixth with just over $10 million in sales.

Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and the action film “Thor” were in eighth and ninth place with $5.8 million and $2.4 million respectively, while “Fast Five” crossed the finish line in tenth with $1.7 million earned.