'Madagascar' roars with $63.5 million weekend

Families herded into movie theaters for another trek with stranded zoo animals as the animated sequel "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" led the weekend with a $63.5 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The haul for the DreamWorks Animation comedy far surpassed the $47.2 million debut for "Madagascar" over Memorial Day weekend in 2005. Its three-day total also beat the $61 million gross the first movie took in over that full four-day holiday weekend.

"It just shows people seem happy to escape to the movies and have a good laugh," said Anne Globe, head of marketing for DreamWorks Animation.

While parents with children were the bulk of the audience, "Madagascar" also drew teens and adults on their own, who made up half the audience on Friday and one-third on Saturday, Globe said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," $63.5 million.

2. "Role Models," $19.3 million.

3. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," $9.3 million.

4. "Changeling," $7.3 million.

5. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," $6.5 million.

6. "Soul Men," $5.6 million.

7. "Saw V," $4.2 million.

8. "The Haunting of Molly Hartley," $3.5 million.

9. "The Secret Life of Bees," $3.1 million.

10. "Eagle Eye," $2.6 million.

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