"Boss Baby," "Beauty and the Beast" beat out "Smurfs" at weekend box office

LOS ANGELES -- The Smurfs are feeling a little blue this weekend.

“Smurfs: The Lost Village,” the third installment in Sony’s animated series, made the its box-office debut in third place, with $14 million -- far behind family-friendly holdovers “The Boss Baby” and “Beauty and the Beast,” according to studio estimates.

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Featuring the voices of Demi Lovato and Joe Manganiello, “Smurfs,” which reportedly cost $60 million to make, has not charmed critics either. Its earnings were worse than the 2013 opening of “Smurfs 2,” which went on to gross $347.5 million worldwide despite a $17.5 million debut and a heftier $105 million price tag.

Meanwhile, “Beauty and the Beast” earned $25 million to take second place at the box office. In four weeks, Disney’s live-action fairy tale has brought in $432.3 million domestically and is close to crossing $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

While the family films dominated, moviegoers had other options on a relatively quiet weekend. The tepidly reviewed buddy comedy “Going in Style” -- starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin -- opened in fourth place with $12.5 million. The faith-based drama “The Case for Christ” also launched, with $3.9 million from 1,174 theaters.

The relative quiet at the box office is ending soon. “The Fate of the Furious,” the eighth installment in “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, speeds into theaters next weekend, followed by “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in early May.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “The Boss Baby,” $26.3 million ($89.4 million total)
   
2. “Beauty and the Beast,” $25 million ($432.3 million total)
   
3. “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” $14 million 
   
4. “Going in Style,” $12.5 million 
   
5. “Ghost in the Shell,” $7.4 million ($31.6 million)
   
6. “Power Rangers,” $6.2 million ($75.1 million)
   
7. “Kong: Skull Island,” $5.8 million ($156.6 million)
   
8. “Logan,” $4.1 million ($218 million)
   
9. “Get Out,” $4 million ($162.9 million)
   
10. “The Case for Christ,” $3.9 million