'Madagascar 3' debuts at top of box office
Circus animals and space beasts have lifted Hollywood to a huge weekend.
The cuddly critters of "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" led the weekend with a $60.4 million debut domestically, followed by a big opening for Ridley Scott's alien saga "Prometheus" at No. 2 with $50 million, The Associated Press reports.
DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar 3" was the family favorite for the weekend, reuniting voice stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as the zoo animals continue their travels by joining a circus.
"Prometheus," from 20th Century Fox, stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron in an offshoot of director Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror tale "Alien." "Prometheus" did big business despite an R rating, which can limit a movie's audience because fans younger than 17 must see it with an adult.
Conventional wisdom is that action films should come in with a PG-13 rating to cast the widest net possible for its audience.
"A $50 million weekend disproves that rule, for sure," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox. "This movie is so special. It's visually stunning, great storytelling as Ridley is known for. It's Ridley Scott's vision. I'm an unabashed fan of the movie, and the performance at the box office bears that out."
