‘Finding Dory’ splashes the box office competition

Los Angeles (AFP) – Pixar’s “Finding Dory” was floating atop the box office over the weekend, taking in an estimated $73.2 million, industry data showed Sunday.

“Dory,” voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, follows a forgetful fish on a quest to find her parents, much as she did as a supporting character in the 2003 animated hit “Finding Nemo.”

The film, in its second week in theaters, splashed past “Independence Day: Resurgence,” which made a $41.6 million debut, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. 

A sequel to the 1996 humans-vs-aliens summer blockbuster, the latest installment is a second helping of space invaders and special effects that has been widely panned by critics.

“Central Intelligence” was third at the box office, with $18.4 million. The action-comedy about a spy who recruits a high school buddy for a caper stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart.

“The Shallows,” starring Blake Lively as a surfer who is terrorized by a shark, earned $16.7 million in its debut.

Also new in theaters was “Free State of Jones,” which earned $7.8 million. Starring Matthew McConaughey, it tells the true story of a farmer who leads a guerrilla group of poor whites and black slaves during the American civil war.

Rounding out the top ten films of the weekend were:

— “The Conjuring 2” ($7.7 million)

— “Now You See Me 2” ($5.7 million)

— “X-Men: Apocalypse” ($2.5 million)

— “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” ($2.4 million)

— “Alice Through the Looking Glass” ($2.1 million)