Singer Rihanna poses at the amfAR's Fifth Annual Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles, California October 29, 2014.
IN PHOTO: Singer Rihanna poses at the amfAR's Fifth Annual Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles, California October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

DreamWorks animated film “Home” featuring R&B princess Rihanna as lead voice tops Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart’s comedy "Get Hard” at the North American box office over the weekend. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated family film debuted with a booming $54 million, while the Ferrell-Hart duo movie opened with around $34.6 million.

While the two films were at a close flight for the top spot at North American theaters as the weekend drew close, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s animation film zoomed to the top as it garnered a domestic $54 million from 3,708 theaters, while earning $48.2 million overseas, totaling to $102.2 million worldwide, EurWeb reported. “Get Hard” came close as it opened strongly with an estimated $34.6 million in the US, marking the largest R-rated opening ever for Hart and Ferrell. Both films vastly exceeded the expectations of reaching the mid-$30 million range.

“Home” centers on an African-American teenager, voiced by Rihanna, who is on the run after being left alone due to an alien invasion. She teams up with a misfit alien, voiced by Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, and together they developed a rare blossoming friendship. The film, which also stars Jennifer Lopez and Steve Martin, marked Rihanna’s first turn in an animated film and provided a big boost for DreamWorks Animated and partner Fox.

“Home” served as the best opening for DWA since “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” ($60.3 million) in summer 2012, and the third-best showing ever for an original DWA title after “Kung Fu Panda” ($60.2 million) and “Monsters vs. Aliens” ($59.3 million), not accounting for inflation. Fox domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson considered the film as “a return to the quality that DreamWorks Animation is known for.”

According to Yahoo!, Arson also attributed the success of the family film to its diverse cast that drew a diverse audience, which he thought was “really special and something you don't see in animated films,” adding that "that just ends up broadening the appeal of the film." Additionally, the original release, based on a children’s book by Adam Rex, provided Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks a “welcome lift,” after the studio had to cut about 500 jobs earlier this year due to a series of box-office disappointments.

Meanwhile, “Get Hard,” starring Ferrell as a wealthy business man who hired a car washer (Hart) to teach him how to survive prison for 10 years, had been dogged by controversy for its humor that resembled homophobia and racism. However, the film, which was also the directorial debut of Etan Cohen, managed to open big for the two stars, a milestone for movie budgeted for only $40 million. Warners domestic distribution chief Dan Fellman attributed its success to the chemistry between Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell, saying that it was a “big draw everywhere, from large cities to small towns, and certainly in urban markets."

Here is the list of the US weekend box office Top 10 for March 27-29 (studio estimates, all figures in US dollars) as tallied by Digital Spy:

1. Home - $54,000,000

2. Get Hard - $34,610,000

3. The Divergent Series: Insurgent - $22,075,000

4. Cinderella - $17,515,000

5. It Follows - $4,021,000

6. Kingsman: The Secret Service - $3,050,000

7. Run All Night - $2,205,000

8. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $2,185,000

9. Do You Believe? - $2,150,000

10. The Gunman - $2,045,000

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