Animated superhero picture DC’s ‘Super-Pets’ tops box office

LOS ANGELES — Animated superhero pic “DC League of Super-Pets” pulled in an estimated $23 million this weekend in a moderate opening that still managed to top the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on 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 $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 $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 $10.9 million. Its worldwide total now stands close to $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 $8.2 million, taking its worldwide total to $1.3 billion — the only 2022 release to top the $1 billion mark, according to Variety.

Rounding out the top 10 were “Where the Crawdads Sing” ($7.5 million), “Elvis” ($5.8 million), “The Black Phone” ($2.5 million), “Jurassic World: Dominion” ($2.1 million) and “Vengeance” ($1.8 million).