LOS ANGELES - Paramount Pictures' imaginary friend film "If" debuted atop the North American box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $35-million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.
The John Krasinski-directed family comedy stars Cailey Fleming as a young girl who -- along with neighbour Ryan Reynolds -- embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten made-up playmates with their children.
"This is a good opening for a live-action/animation hybrid, at above-average levels for the genre," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, adding the film should "translate in foreign markets and do well abroad."
It snatched top spot from Twentieth Century's action sci-fi "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," which dropped to second place with $26-million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, still boasting an impressive $101.2-million made since its release earlier this month.
In third was new horror film "The Strangers: Chapter 1," at $12-million, which follows a young couple terrorized by masked strangers at a remote cabin in an eerie small town.
Fourth place at $8.5-million went to Universal's action-comedy "The Fall Guy." Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman working on a film directed by his ex-girlfriend Emily Blunt.
And in fifth at $2.9-million was tennis-based romance "Challengers," starring actor/singer Zendaya as an athlete-turned-coach, which kept its top-five Box Office status for a fourth consecutive week.