‘The Predator’ gobbles up competition at box office

LOS ANGELES — “The Predator” is at the top of the food chain in its first weekend in theaters.

20th Century Fox said Sunday that the film earned an estimated $24 million from more than 4,000 North American theaters.

But with an $88 million production price tag, the Shane Black-directed installment in the 30-year-old franchise will be looking to international receipts to offset the cost. This weekend, it earned $30.7 million from 72 foreign markets, bringing the global total to $54.7 million.

Domestic audiences were largely male (62 percent) and white (45 percent), and underwhelmed, giving the movie a C+ CinemaScore that echoed the tepid critical response.

Starring Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown and Boyd Holbrook, “The Predator” made headlines just weeks before opening when the studio cut a scene that featured an actor who was a registered sex offender. It did not appear to have affected the film’s box office performance.

“Any conversation raises awareness,” said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “If people are talking about it, then they’re aware of the movie.”

Second place went to the “Conjuring” spinoff “The Nun,” which added $18.2 million in its second weekend. The horror pic has now grossed over $85 million.

Lionsgate’s “A Simple Favor” opened close behind in third place with $16.1 million. The film from director Paul Feig stars Anna Kendrick as a mommy blogger investigating the disappearance of her friend played by Blake Lively. Feig has referred to it as a “friller,” a fun thriller. Female moviegoers drove the solid opening, making up 67 percent of the audience.

“It stood out in the marketplace,” said David Spitz, Lionsgate’s distribution