'Arrival' Soars Past $20M in Sales, Can't Top 'Doctor Strange'

Arrival hit the box offices this weekend and despite initially scoring 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film could not top last week’s hit — Doctor Strange. The cerebral sci-fi thriller is on track to rake in a solid $20-24 million during its first weekend.

Doctor Strange — which opened on November 4 — is going to secure its second straight weekend at the number one spot after earning an estimated $14.9 million on Friday, which places it around $40 million for the weekend. During its debut, the film topped foreign and domestic box offices, making it the most successful introduction of a Marvel character yet.

Arrival, which stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, came in third behind Marvel’s sorcerer supreme and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls. When a group of mysterious alien pods land on Earth, Adams — who stars as a linguistics expert — is charged with communicating with their alien passengers.

See also: These 10 Smart Sci-Fi Films Set the Table for ‘Arrival’

Arrival is not a flashy, action-packed alien film, but a slower-paced, brainy thriller. Adams is reportedly already generating best actress buzz for her performance.

The film — which was snapped up by Paramount at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival — also stars Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Mark O’Brien. Based on “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, the film is directed by Denis Villeneuve and comes with a $47 million price tag.