By Erich Schwartzel 

"Get Out" packed them in at the box office this weekend, opening in first place with a robust $30.5 million in the U.S. and Canada.

The critically acclaimed horror movie from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures is an automatic hit, considering it cost less than $5 million to produce.

"The Lego Batman Movie" from Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. followed in second place with an estimated $19 million, for a three-week total of $133 million.

Comedian Jordan Peele wrote and directed "Get Out", which stars Daniel Kaluuya as a young black man who travels to a picture-perfect suburb to meet his girlfriend's family.

Once there, he notices that the other black residents are acting strangely. Critics have called the movie an incisive commentary on race wrapped into a horror movie.

The movie has a rare 100% rating on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

That critical acclaim "draws a bigger audience, a more discerning audience" than a horror movie that just promises scares, said Nick Carpou, Universal's president of domestic distribution.

"Get Out" was produced by Blumhouse Productions, which specializes in micro-budget horror movies. The company's other 2017 theatrical release, "Split," has grossed a hit $130.8 million since its Jan. 20 release.

In other box-office news, "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" became the latest Hollywood offering to overperform in China while flopping in North America. The zombie thriller opened to $94.3 million in China, a debut that is more than three times its total stateside gross of $26.5 million. "Resident Evil" was produced the Screen Gems label at Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Entertainment and Constantin Film.

"Get Out" faced little domestic competition from newcomers.

The animated family film "Rock Dog" from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. grossed a weak $3.7 million. "Collide," starring Nicholas Hoult and Felicity Jones, barely registered with $1.5 million. It was released by Open Road Films.

Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 26, 2017 13:44 ET (18:44 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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