'G.I. Joe' opens campaign at No. 1

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" was a big hit among U.S. movie-goers in its opening weekend, easily besting "Julie & Julia," Box Office Mojo said.

The action film starring Dennis Quad and Christopher Eccleston pulled in an estimated $56.2 million in gate receipts to grab the No. 1 ranking. "Julie & Julia," a biographical drama starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci, opened at No. 2 with $20.1 million in estimated ticket sales.

"G-Force" held on to the No. 3 spot at $9.8 million, followed by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at No. 4 with $8.88 million. Last weekend's top movie, Adam Sandler's "Funny People," plummeted all the way to No. 5 at $7.87 million.

"The Ugly Truth" slipped to No. 6 with $7 million, while another new movie, "A Perfect Getaway," a horror show written and directed by David Twohy, opened at No. 7 with $5.77 million in ticket sales.

Finishing up the top 10 were "Aliens in the Attic" at $4 million, "Orphan at $3.73 million and "(500) Days of Summer," which was 12th last week, at just under $3.73 million.

"The Hangover," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "The Proposal" and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" dropped out of the top rankings.