LOS ANGELES •The well-reviewed fifth chapter in Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible series dominated the worldwide box office over the weekend with an impressive US$121 million (S$166 million).

Paramount, which needed a hit badly, said on Sunday that the movie Rogue Nation collected US$65 million overseas, performing better than its series predecessor, Ghost Protocol (2011), in important markets such as Britain, Mexico and South Korea.

The film sold US$56 million in tickets in the United States, outperforming forecasts of an opening weekend of US$40 million.

Imax sales for the film, starring Cruise and the relatively unknown Rebecca Ferguson, were strong around the world.

The better-than-expected turnout for Rogue Nation, which cost Paramount and Skydance Media an estimated US$150 million to make, catapults its director, Christopher McQuarrie, to the A-list and shows the continued popularity of Cruise, particularly overseas.

It may also have minted a star in Ferguson, who generated notable social media chatter for her performance.

NEW YORK TIMES, REUTERS