LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Michael Bay's latest directorial project "Pain and Gain" dominated the North America box office with a 20 million U.S. dollar opening over the weekend, while another wide release "The Big Wedding" debuted to a lackluster No. 4 finish.
"Pain and Gain," a Paramount flick which is based on a true story, hit the screens in 3,277 theaters in the United States and Canada on the final weekend before summer box office derby kicks in. However, its projected box office receipt during the three-day weekend was less than what the distributor had anticipated -- 25 million dollars.
The dark action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson has a mixed performance compared with the duo's previous films. It registered a 52 percent rise from Johnson's last piece " Snitch" (13.17 million dollars) opening earlier this year, but it was 18 percent lower from Wahlberg's last film "Contraband" (24.35 million dollars) hitting theaters last year.
The film, which cost 26 million dollars to make, appeals to an equally distributed gender with female moviegoers making up 49 percent. But those who have seen it did not like it, assigning it a dismal "C+" CinemaScore rating, which means that the movie's performance will be probably negatively impacted.
"The Big Wedding," a wedding-themed comedy from Lionsgate, opened to No. 4 with a dismal 7.5 million dollars haul. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast headed by Robert De Niro and Katherine Heigl, the film was ill-received by critics and audiences as well. Those who have seen it gave it a "C+" CinemaScore. Most of the audiences, or 77 percent, was female and 66 percent over 30 years old.
"Oblivion," in theaters in the second week, slipped to No. 2 with a projected 17.44 million dollars weekend. The Tom Cruise starrer, distributed by Universal Pictures, is on pace to garner 64.73 million dollars worth of tickets in a fortnight.
Jackie Robinson baseball biopic "42" finished at No. 3 with an estimated 10.73 million dollars gate. The Warner Bros. film is on track for a 69.08 million dollars three-week haul.
Rounding out the 10 most popular films in North America this weekend were "The Croods" (6.6 million dollars); "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" (3.6 million); "Scary Movie 5" (3.5 million); " Olympus Has Fallen" (2.8 million); "The Place Beyond the Pines" (2. 7 million), and "Jurassic Park 3D" ( 2.3 million).