"The Lego Batman Movie" took the top spot at North American movie theaters with $55.6 million in receipts, dominating "Fifty Shades Darker," which attracted $46.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The spinoff of 2014's "Lego Movie" benefited from good reviews and a lack of competition in the family space, which is expected to help it maintain its pace going into the holiday weekend, when kids are out of school. A whopping 48 percent of opening weekend audiences were under 25. It also bodes well for Warner Bros.' next Lego spinoff, "The Lego Ninjago Movie," set for September.
Audiences were slightly less curious to catch up with the exploits of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele the second time around. The sequel didn't compare to the "Fifty Shades of Grey" $85.2 million debut in 2015.
The film adaptation of the bestselling book had gained immense interest, and Valentine's Day 2015 fell on a Saturday, making the movie a date-night destination.
The other R-rated sequel in theaters this weekend, "John Wick: Chapter 2," took third place. With $30 million, it more than doubled the debut of the original. The Keanu Reeves hit man flick became a sleeper hit on the small screen, and that goodwill helped bolster interest in the follow-up, which is also getting strong reviews.
Rounding out the top five were holdovers "Split," the M. Night Shyamalan psychological thriller that added $9.3 million, and Oscar contender "Hidden Figures" with $8 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters:
1. "The Lego Batman Movie," $55.6 million.
