Michael Bay's newly released film Pain and Gain took the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend, narrowly beating out the competition by pulling in $20 million in sales.
The Mark Walhberg-led film, distributed by Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA) subsidiary Paramount Pictures, pulled in enough to also rank third in worldwide sales this weekend despite making its U.S.-exclusive debut, according to data from media measurement firm Rentrak.
The movie beat out the Tom Cruise science-fiction thriller Oblivion, distributed by Comcast (CMCSA 1.85%) subsidiary Universal. Oblivion pulled in more than $17 million this weekend domestically and another $12.8 million outside the U.S. to rank second worldwide with more than $30 million in global sales. The film has now recorded more than $198 million in revenue during its cumulative run, with an estimated production budget of $120 million.
The worldwide leader, however, smashed the U.S. competition this weekend, even though it won't launch in America until next weekend. Disney's (DIS -0.04%) Iron Man 3, the latest entry in the Marvel film franchise, pulled in more than $195 million in its international debut. The film has almost topped its reported $200 million budget already, and its U.S. launch on May 3 should only add to its impressive sales figure. Iron Man 3's two previous installments have each made more than $500 million at the box office.
