‘The Wild Robot’ opens with $35 million to lead box office

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Roz, voiced by Lupita N’yongo, background, and Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation’s “Wild Robot.” (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)

LOS ANGELES – “The Wild Robot” opened in first place at the box office, taking in $35 million this weekend to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

DreamWorks’ animated tale about a shipwrecked robot beat out “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which took in $16 million in its fourth weekend in theaters in the United States and Canada, Comscore reported.

“Transformers One” took third place with $9.3 million Friday through Sunday in its second weekend in theaters.

The Telugu-language action film “Devara: Part 1” opened with $5.1 million for fourth place, followed by “Speak No Evil,” which grossed $4.3 million in its third week.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “Megalopolis” ($4 million), “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($2.6 million), “My Old Ass” ($2.22 million), “Never Let Go” ($2.2 million) and “The Substance” ($1.8 million).

‘The Wild Robot” is a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, No. 1 New York Times bestseller.

This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from DreamWorks Animation’s “Wild Robot.” (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)

It follows the journey of a robot – ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

“The Wild Robot” stars Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o as robot Roz, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Pedro Pascal as fox Fink, Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara as opossum Pinktail, Oscar nominee Bill Nighy as goose Longneck, Kit Connor as gosling Brightbill and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu as Vontra, a robot that will intersect with Roz’s life on the island.

The film also features the voice talents of Emmy winning pop-culture icon Mark Hamill of the “Star Wars” franchise, Matt Berry and Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Ving Rhames.

“The Wild Robot” is a powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature, and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.

It is written and directed by three-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders – the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods” and Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch.”