'G.I. Joe' muscles its way to No. 1 at box office

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" topped the box office this weekend with an estimated $56.2 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com

"G.I. Joe" had the fourth best August opening weekend ever, behind "The Bourne Ultimatum" ($69.2 million); "Rush Hour 2" ($67.4 million) and "Signs" ($60.1 million).

The only other major studio release this weekend, "Julie & Julia" did well, earning more than $20 million to finish No. 2.

Last week's No. 1 film, "Funny People," dropped all the way to No. 5, as word-of-mouth and bad reviews sank the latest Adama Sandler attempt at drama.

WEEKEND TOP 5 STUDIO ESTIMATES, AUGUST 7-9, 2009

Rank. Movie Title (Distributor)
Weekend Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Week #

1. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Paramount)
$56.2 million | 4,007 | $56.2 million | 1

2. Julie & Julia (Sony / Columbia)
$20.1 million | 2,354 | $20.1 million | 1

3. G-Force (Buena Vista)
$9.8 million | 3,482 | $86.1 million | 3

4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Warner Bros.)
$8.9 million | 3,455 | $273.8 million | 4

5. Funny People (Universal)
$7.9 million | 3,008 | $40.4 million | 2