Will Smith, the closest thing to a sure bet in Hollywood these days, has flown to the top of the worldwide box office with his critically mauled superhero saga Hancock, distributor Columbia Pictures says.
The comedy-drama, in which Smith plays a drunken crime-fighter with an image problem, sold an estimated $US185 million ($A192.81 million) worth of tickets, the Sony Corp-owned studio said.
Moviegoers in the United States and Canada contributed $US107.3 million ($A111.83 million) in the six days since the film opened on Tuesday evening, and the film racked up an additional $US78 million ($A81.29 million) in 50 territories. Columbia said the film opened at No.1 in 47 of those 50 markets, including Britain, Germany, Australia, Brazil and South Korea.
The North American tally includes sales of $US66 million ($A68.79 million) for the US Independence Day holiday weekend, beginning Friday. Hancock ranks as Smith's eighth-consecutive chart-topper, and his 12th overall, Columbia said.
"Audiences love Will Smith and the characters he plays," said Rory Bruer, Columbia's president of domestic theatrical distribution. "People want to share in the things he's doing."
Smith, 39, a one-time rapper famed for his gung-ho performances, ventures into darker territory with Hancock. His slovenly character's messy crime-busting efforts cause more problems than they solve, and he enlists a public relations man, played by Jason Bateman, to help restore his reputation among the displeased citizenry of Los Angeles.
Critics were intrigued by the basic premise, but were vexed by a dramatic sub-plot involving Charlize Theron, who plays Bateman's wife. Peter Berg (The Kingdom) directed the $US150 million ($A156.33 million) film, which was notably brief at just over 90 minutes.
Smith has ruled the July 4 holiday weekend five times, beginning with 1996's Independence Day, the biggest movie of his career. Adjusted for ticket-price inflation, the Hancock opening ranks at No.3 among those offerings, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
Last weekend's champion, Walt Disney Co's robot love story WALL-E, slipped to No.2 with $US33.4 million ($A34.81 million) for the three-day period, taking its 10-day total to $US128.1 million ($A133.51 million).
The Angelina Jolie thriller Wanted fell one place to No.3 with $US20.6 million ($A21.47 million), also in its second weekend. Its 10-day total rose to $US90.8 million ($A94.63 million). The violent comic book adaptation was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.
The only other debut in the top 10 was Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, which jumped 15 places to No.8 with a modest $US3.6 million ($A3.75 million) after two weekends of limited release. The kid-friendly film, based on the wholesome American Girl doll-and-book series, coincidentally features Smith's seven-year-old daughter, Willow.
Kit Kittredge was distributed by art-house studio Picturehouse, which its Time Warner Inc parent will shut down in the fall to cut costs.
Despite the Hancock boost, overall ticket sales ended a five-weekend winning streak, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers. The top 12 films grossed $US158.7 million ($A165.4 million) for the three days, down four per cent from the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales are flat, while the number of tickets sold is down three per cent, Media By Numbers said.
