'Dog Man' fetches top spot in North America box office

Universal's new superhero comedy "Dog Man," based on a hugely popular series of graphic novels for kids, bounded to the top of the North American box office this weekend, analysts said Sunday.

Industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said the DreamWorks animated flick about a canine crime fighter took in an estimated $36 million from Friday through Sunday.

The "Dog Man" books—a spinoff from the "Captain Underpants" series by author Dav Pilkey—have a huge following among young readers. A "Captain Underpants" film in 2017 grossed $125 million worldwide on a budget of roughly one-third of that amount.

Another new release, the sci-fi satire Companion, from Warner Bros. and New Line, placed second at $9.5 million. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher star in the story of a weekend getaway that gets weird when a group of friends learn that one guest is a "companion robot."

According to Variety, the movie's earnings in a single weekend nearly equaled its $10 million budget.

Third at the box office, down one spot from last weekend, was the Disney animation Mufasa: The Lion King, at $6.1 million. That pushed its total ticket sales—domestic and international—past $650 million.

Mufasa: The Lion King Instagram

Sony's comedy "One of Them Days" placed fourth at $6 million. Keke Palmer and singer SZA star are roommates in Los Angeles, scrambling to pay the rent after a boyfriend squanders their money.

Under first-time director Lawrence Lamont, the film has already earned $34.5 million on a budget of just $14 million. The Los Angeles Times called it "a treat to be gobbled up."

And nose-diving to fifth place from last weekend's top position was Lionsgate action movie "Flight Risk," at $5.6 million. Reviews have been poor for the Mel Gibson-directed film -- called "minimally endurable" by the Wall Street Journal.

(L-R) Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, and Ben Schwartz attend the "Sonic The Hedgehog 3" Los Angeles premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on December 16, 2024, in Hollywood, California. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures/AFP

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" ($3.2 million)

"Moana 2" ($2.8 million)

"A Complete Unknown" ($2.2 million)

"The Brutalist" ($1.9 million)

"Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" ($1.6 million)