Great news for the legitimately delightful new release The Lego Movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film managed to topple competition in the box office effortlessly, pulling in a massive $69.1 million during its first weekend in theaters (plus $18.1 million from overseas viewings). This isn't that surprising, of course, when you consider that it currently holds 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a high rating for an animated film that isn't Toy Story 3, but still—it's a great start.
As for the rest of the box office: The George Clooney-directed The Monuments Men took the number two spot for its first weekend in theaters, earning about $22.7 million total—nowhere near The Lego Movie territory, but still, not terrible for a film that received reviews like, "A frustratingly flat film that drifts from moment to moment with a curious lack of urgency and an overbearing sense of self-importance." The weekend's other new release, Vampire Academy, was immediately DOA in the box office: It only earned about 4.1 million, putting it in seventh place.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]