‘Secret Life of Pets’ beats ‘Ghostbusters’ at the box office

“The Secret Life of Pets,” an animated feature from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, topped the box office for a second weekend in a row, beating Sony Corp.’s female-led remake of “Ghostbusters.”

The animated comedy, about how pets behave when their owners are out, collected an estimated $50.6 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, ComScore Inc. said Sunday in an e-mailed statement. “Ghostbusters,” featuring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, opened in second place with $46 million, while a second new release, Broad Green Pictures’ “The Infiltrator,” placed eighth with $5.3 million.

“Ghostbusters” was a gamble for Sony, which chose all-female leads to reprise the original 1984 hit that featured “Saturday Night Live” stars Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, joined by Harold Ramis. It’s also one of the studio’s biggest releases of the year.

Doug Stone, of Box Office Analyst, predicted the remake might generate as much as $65 million over the weekend and up to $180 million domestically in its full domestic run. Hollywood Stock Exchange was estimating $48.6 million, while the studio was forecasting a more conservative $40 million. “Ghostbusters” cost about $144 million to make, according to researcher Box Office Mojo, and many millions more to market.

The plot follows along similar lines as the original, with paranormal enthusiasts teaming up to fight a ghostly invasion of Manhattan. Critics liked the movie, directed by Paul Feig, with 73 percent giving positive reviews at the aggregator site RottenTomatoes.com.

“The Infiltrator” features Bryan Cranston in a crime drama involving Pablo Escobar. With 65 percent positive reviews, the film was expected to open with $6.24 million at the box office, according to The Hollywood Stock Exchange.