'Tomorrowland' tops North American box office

Sci-fi adventure-drama "Tomorrowland" starring George Clooney went straight to the top of the North American box office on its debut weekend, estimates showed Sunday.

The Disney movie, which has had mixed reviews, was projected to pull in $40.7 million over the Memorial Day long weekend, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Directed by Brad Bird, the film tells the story of former boy genius Frank (Clooney) and the precocious Casey (Britt Robertson) in their danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of a mysterious place known only as "Tomorrowland."

The movie relegated musical comedy sequel "Pitch Perfect 2" into second place in the box office standings, expected to rake in $38 million over four days to Monday in the United States and Canada.

Starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, it follows the fortunes of the Barden Bellas singing team as they chase international success after being banned from the competitive circuit.

Third was the reboot of Australian director George Miller's "Mad Max" franchise, with $30 million.

It is the fourth film of the iconic series and the first since 1985's "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome."

Fourth in the box office was a new entry for horror classic "Poltergeist" ($27.7 million) on its debut weekend in movie theaters.

The new, 3D take on the 1982 hit tells the disturbing story of a family whose home is haunted by evil forces that abduct their youngest daughter.

The movie just sneaked in ahead of superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which was shunted down to fifth spot with $26.8 million for a total haul of $410 million since release.

Sixth in the box office was the critically panned comedy "Hot Pursuit" with $4.3 million and seventh, with $2.9 million, was the well-received "Far From the Madding Crowd," the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel.

Rounding out the top 10 were "Furious 7," the latest film in the successful "Fast and Furious" franchise ($2.8 million), comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" ($2.2 million) and animated children's flick "Home" ($2.3 million).