Friday Box Office: Mint Start for Super 8

After a week of teeth-gnashing from box office Cassandras, it appears Super 8 will open to pretty much what should have been expected from the non-franchise film. The J.J. Abrams-directed throwback earned $12 million on Friday night (plus another $1 million from Thursday's sneak previews) and could get to $35 million for the weekend. Elsewhere on the charts, X-Men: First Class suffered a big Friday to Friday drop (65 percent), but is closing in on $100 million, while The Hangover Part II and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides each cracked $200 million. Click ahead for your Friday box office.

1. SUPER 8: $12 million (new)

2. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS: $7.4 million ($81.2 million)

3. THE HANGOVER PART II: $5.7 million ($203.7 million)

4. KUNG FU PANDA 2: $4.8 million ($115 million)

5. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES: $3.2 million ($201.1 million)

[via Deadline]