The John Krasinski-directed family comedy stars Cailey Fleming as a young girl who – along with neighbour Ryan Reynolds – embarks on an adventure to reconnect forgotten made-up playmates with their children.

“This is a good opening for a live-action/animation hybrid, at above average levels for the genre,” said analyst David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, adding the film should “translate in foreign markets and do well abroad.”

It snatched top spot from Twentieth Century’s action sci-fi “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which dropped to second place with US$26.0 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, still boasting an impressive US$101.2 million made since its release earlier this month.

In third was new horror film “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” at US$12.0 million, which follows a young couple terrorized by masked strangers at a remote cabin in an eerie small town.

Fourth place at US$8.5 million went to Universal’s action-comedy “The Fall Guy.” Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman working on a film directed by his ex-girlfriend Emily Blunt.

And in fifth at US$2.9 million was tennis-based romance “Challengers,” starring actor/singer Zendaya as an athlete-turned-coach, which kept its top-five Box Office status for a fourth consecutive week.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

• “Back to Black” (US$2.9 million)

• “Tarot” (US$2.0 million)

• “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” (US$1.7 million)

• “The Blue Angels” (US$1.3 million)

• “Unsung Hero” (US$1.1 million)