LOS ANGELES, Feb 18 — Fox’s new sci-fi spectacle Alita: Battle Angel is dominating US box offices with an estimated US$33 million (RM134.7 million) take this four-day holiday weekend, industry trackers said yesterday.

The film, with Rosa Salazar voicing Alita, a cyborg almost more human than machine, was set to make US$27.8 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period and an additional US$5.2 million for today’s President’s Day holiday, Exhibitor Relations reported.

The computer-animated adaptation of a Japanese cyberpunk manga story has big names behind it, directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron. The project, 20 years in the making, also has a sizable budget: US$170 million.

The Fox film beat out last weekend’s leader, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, which earned Warner Bros an estimated US$21.2 million in ticket sales for the first three days of the weekend and US$27.3 million when today is included.

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This fourth Lego movie again features the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett — joined this time by Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph — in a story of love and chaos in a post-apocalyptic toyland.

In third was another Warner Bros. film, Isn’t It Romantic?, at US$14.2 million for three days and US$16.5 million for four. Rebel Wilson stars as a rom-com hating New Yorker who, after a blow to the head, finds herself in her own romantic comedy. Liam Hemsworth also stars.

Fourth place went to Paramount’s What Men Want. The gender-switching remake of 2000’s What Women Want stars Taraji P. Henson. It had three-day ticket sales of US$10.9 million and a four-day total of US$12.6 million.

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And in fifth was Happy Death Day 2U from Universal, at US$9.8 million for three days and US$11.5 million for four — already recouping the mere US$9 million it cost to make. Jessica Rothe again plays the role of a young woman living and reliving the day of her murder.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were: Cold Pursuit (US$6 million for three days; US$7.1 million for four), The Upside (US$5.6 million; US$6.7 million), Glass (US$3.9 million; US$4.8 million), The Prodigy (US$3.2 million; US$3.8 million), Green Book (US$2.8 million; US$3.5 million). — AFP