This weekend may have marked a century since the sinking of the Titanic, but it was a different kind of ship that dominated the box office.
Universal film Battleship, based on the board game of the same name, grossed $3,940,610 across 368 screens in its opening weekend. The film, which focuses on a fleet of ships forced to defend the earth against an alien armada, recorded a screen average of $10,679.
Titanic, the other ship-themed film at the box office, came in at sixth place. Fox's 3D re-release of the 1997 James Cameron film has now boosted total earnings to $2 billion worldwide. In China, it made $58 million on its second-time-around debut: the country's biggest opening in history. Takings on local shores were more modest. The film made $1,464,737 on 166 screens.
American Pie dropped to second place in its second weekend ($2,678,211), while the first school holiday weekend without a public holiday saw a boost of 40 per cent for Dr Seuss' The Lorax ($2,605,958).
The Hunger Games ($2,261,877) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($1,520,699) rounded out the top five.
Documentary Life in Movement from South Australian collective Closer Productions was also released this weekend, but earnings have not yet been reported to the MPDAA.
Australian films at the box office 2012