Oz conjures up N. America box office magic
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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Big-budget 3-D fantasy adventure flick Oz The Great And Powerful debuted atop the North American box office with a huge US$80.3 million (S$100.2 million) in weekend ticket sales, industry estimates showed on Sunday.
Starring James Franco as a circus magician who ends up on the Yellow Brick Road, The Wizard Of Oz prequel easily topped last week's leader, Jack The Giant Slayer, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Jack, which stars Nicholas Hoult in the title role as a young farmhand battling giants to save a princess, brought in US$10 million in its second week, more than enough to keep it in second place but a sharp drop from its debut.
Identity Thief, a comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman, dropped a peg to third, with US$6.3 million in receipts in its fifth week in theatres for total earnings of US$116.5 million.
