GWOP Movie Report: “Despicable Me” Tops Weekend Box Office

AP/LOS ANGELES — “Despicable Me” wasn’t such a bad guy after all, it seems, opening at the top of the box office with an estimated $60.1 million.

The first 3-D animated movie from Universal Pictures stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru, a bumbling villain with plans to steal the moon — until three adorable orphan girls enter his life. Jason Segel, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews are among the star-studded voice cast.

Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, said Sunday that “Despicable Me” far exceeded the studio’s expectations for opening weekend.

“Thirty (million) would have been a win for the studio — because it’s a new creative idea, we really didn’t know what we had, so we backed in saying $30 (million),” said Rocco. “I would never have said $50 million-plus.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com.

1. “Despicable Me,” $60.1 million.

2. “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” $33.35 million.

3. “Predators,” $25.3 million.

4. “Toy Story 3,” $22 million.

5. “The Last Airbender,” $17.15 million.

6. “Grown Ups,” $16.4 million.

7. “Knight and Day,” $7.85 million.

8. “The Karate Kid,” $5.7 million.

9. “The A-Team,” $1.8 million.

10. “Cyrus,” $1.4 million.