Cuddlies stay above monsters

NEW YORK (AP):

Moviegoers didn't have much to go on with the mysterious 10 Cloverfield Lane, but the words Cloverfield and J.J. Abrams were enough.

The Abrams-produced monster movie, a so-called "spiritual successor" to 2008's found-footage hit Cloverfield, opened with a better-than-expected us$25.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. That was good enough for second place to the Disney animated hit Zootopia, which stayed on top with US$50 million in its second week, a slide of only 33 per cent from its opening weekend.

The release of 10 Cloverfield Lane, made for just about US$13 million, wasn't much advertised until an ominous Super Bowl spot.

Zootopia has already made more than $430 million globally.

The weekend's biggest disappointment was Sacha Baron Cohen's Brothers Grimsby, which flopped with a mere US$3.2 million. It is a career-low box office debut for the shape-shifting British comedian by a wide margin.

Perhaps sensing trouble, Sony Pictures had postponed the release date of the R-rated comedy numerous times.

Making little impact in their debuts were Lionsgate's romantic comedy The Perfect Match (US$4.2 million) and Focus Features' Christian tale The Young Messiah (US$3.4

million).