'Lego Movie' blocks 'RoboCop,' 'About Last Night' at weekend box office

The character Bad Cop/Good Cop voiced by Liam Neeson in 'The Lego Movie,' which took the top spot at the box office in its second weekend.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The character Bad Cop/Good Cop voiced by Liam Neeson in 'The Lego Movie,' which took the top spot at the box office in its second weekend.

LOS ANGELES — The Lego Movie built a huge lead on top of the weekend’s new releases at the box office.

In its second outing, the Warner Bros. animated film featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, and Will Arnett earned $48.8 million to take first place, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings the film based on the toy brick-building franchise’s domestic box office total to $129.1 million, cementing it was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.

“It’s crossing over to all audiences,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. “It’s not just a kids’ movie. There’s something for boys, girls and adults, as well. The likeability is astronomical. That across-the-board appeal is giving ‘The Lego Movie’ unstoppable momentum, even in a weekend loaded with new competitors.”

The Lego Movie earned an additional $27.7 million from 42 international territories, including the United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden, and Norway. The worldwide total box office for Lego Movie now stands at $180.3 million.

Sony’s romantic comedy About Last Night starring Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy came in second place with $27 million. The strong showing further demonstrated Hart’s clout as a box-office draw. The actor-comedian’s other film, the buddy-cop comedy Ride Along with Ice Cube, nabbed $8.8 million in its fifth weekend to take the sixth spot at the box office.

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Kevin Hart, left, and Regina Hall in a scene from the film, "'About Last Night.'

“I don’t think there’s anyone funnier out there today than Kevin Hart,” said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. “He’s at the top, and he couldn’t be a nicer or more hardworking guy. He got out there and promoted ‘About Last Night’ really, really hard. The chemistry that he brings to the table is just infectious. You can’t help but wanna take the ride with him.”

The action-packed RoboCop reboot from Sony and MGM featuring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, and Michael Keaton captured third place with $21.5 million. The update to the original 1987 sci-fi film starring Peter Weller as a robotic officer performed better overseas, earning $35 million from 37 international markets, including France, Australia and Germany.

The weekend’s other new releases, Universal’s coming-of-age drama Endless Love and the Warner Bros. novel adaptation Winter’s Tale, respectively earned the fifth and seventh spots at the box office. “Endless Love,” starring Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde, wooed $13.4 million, while the Colin Farrell drama Winter’s Tale made a chilly $7.8 million.

This photo released by Universal Pictures shows Gabriella Wilde as Jade Butterfield in the film, 'Endless Love.'

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.

1. The Lego Movie, $48.8 million ($27.7 million international).

2. About Last Night, $27 million.

3. RoboCop, $21.5 million ($35 million international).

4. The Monuments Men, $15 million ($8.9 million international).

5. Endless Love, $13.4 million ($3.9 million international).

6. Ride Along, $8.8 million.

7. Winter’s Tale, $7.8 million ($4 million international).

8. Frozen, $5.9 million ($18.2 million international).

9. Lone Survivor, $4 million ($750,000 international).

10. That Awkward Moment, $3.3 million ($2.1 million international).