Will Smith starrer sci-fi adventure 'After Earth' narrowly lost the Friday box office battle to magician heist drama 'Now You See Me'.
The Sony Pictures' movie, also starring Smith's teen son Jaden, was produced by Smith's Overbrook Films. It grossed USD 9.8 million, while Summit Entertainment's Now You See Me overperformed in grossing just north of USD 10 million.
The sci-fi epic, based on an idea by Smith, has received poor reviews with several reviewers raising parallels between the film and Scientology, the Hollywood Reporter said.
'After Earth', directed by Indian-American director M Night Shyamalan, earned a B CinemaScore while 'Now You See Me' has a strong word of mouth and an A-CinemaScore.
Universal's 'Fast & Furious 6' is widely expected to stay at No 1 in its second weekend after grossing USD 10.5 million Friday for a projected USD 35 million-plus weekend.
'Now You See Me' has been gaining strength in recent days. Directed by Louis Leterrier, the ensemble cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco.
