LOS ANGELES, Aug 1 — Animated superhero pic DC League of Super-Pets pulled in an estimated US$23 million (RM102 million) this weekend in a moderate opening that still managed to top the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

The Warner Bros. film, based on the DC Comics’ Legion of Super-Pets, follows Superman’s pet pooch Krypto (AKA Bark Kent), who joins up with a shelter dog and others to rescue other four-footed innocents being held by the evil Lex Luthor.

Analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research classed the opening as "moderate” but said similar films have shown the "legs” to draw well for weeks. The Super-Pets are voiced by Dwayne Johnson, John Krasinski, Kate McKinnon and Keanu Reeves.

In second place for the Friday-through-Sunday period was last weekend’s box office topper, Universal’s horror flick Nope from director Jordan Peele. The alien invasion sci-fi mystery, which stars Daniel Kaluuya, took in US$18.6 million.

In third, down one spot from last weekend, was Disney’s Thor: Love and Thunder. The action comedy, starring a muscle-clad Chris Hemsworth as the space Viking who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman), pulled in US$13.1 million.

Universal’s computer-animated Minions: The Rise of Gru claimed the fourth spot. The latest goofy episode in the popular Despicable Me franchise took in US$10.9 million. Its worldwide total now stands close to US$700 million.

And in fifth was Paramount’s crowd-pleasing Top Gun: Maverick, with Tom Cruise now as a somewhat aging — but still fast and fearless — US navy test pilot.

It earned US$8.2 million, taking its worldwide total to US$1.3 billion — the only 2022 release to top the US$1 billion mark, according to Variety.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

Where the Crawdads Sing (US$7.5 million)

Elvis (US$5.8 million)

The Black Phone (US$2.5 million)

Jurassic World: Dominion (US$2.1 million)

Vengeance (US$1.8 million) — AFP