Variety is reporting that “”8 Mile,”” a drama starring Grammy-winning rapper Eminem, grabbed the top spot at the North American box office with a stunning $54.5 million in its first weekend, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The film’s three-day sum represents the fifth-biggest opening of the year, after “”Spider-Man,”” “”Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones,”” “”Austin Powers in Goldmember”” and “”Signs.””The Universal Pictures release, loosely based on Eminem’s hardscrabble upbringing in suburban Detroit, co-stars Kim Basinger as his trailer-trash mother. It was directed by Curtis Hanson, who previously worked with Basinger in “”L.A. Confidential,”” a movie that yielded Academy Awards for both.With Eminem’s “”8 Mile”” soundtrack topping the pop album charts, Eminem becomes the first artist since Jennifer Lopez early last year to rule both the music and movie worlds.While the lyrical content of his albums has drawn the ire of women’s and gay rights groups, Eminem won broad critical praise for his work as a struggling rapper in “”8 Mile.””A Universal spokeswoman said 69 percent of viewers were aged under 25, and 53 percent were female. Exit polling showed 86 percent rated it either “”excellent”” or “”very good.””Universal Pictures is a unit of Vivendi Universal SA .Last weekend’s champion, “”The Santa Clause 2,”” slipped to No. 2 with $24.8 million. The Tim Allen comedy was released by Walt Disney Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co .View This Weekend’s Box Office Chart