‘Men In Black’ Tops At Box Office

In a weekend dominated by news from space - the Mars Pathfinder, the space shuttle and the Mir station - moviegoers stuck to the trend and made “Men in Black” their top choice.

The comedy, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents exposing intergalactic hoodlums, earned $51 million at the box office, according to industry estimates Sunday.

It was the second straight Fourth of July smash for Smith, one of the stars in the 1996 holiday blockbuster “Independence Day.” That movie, also about space aliens, took in $50.3 million in its debut weekend.

“Face/Off,” an action-adventure starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, was No. 2 with $16.5 million in its second week. The latest film from Hong Kong action director John Woo stars Travolta as an FBI agent who switches identities with a terrorist played by Cage.

Disney’s animated “Hercules” pulled in $12.4 million in its fourth week to grab third place. “My Best Friend’s Wedding” starring Julia Roberts, was fourth with $11 million.

Meanwhile, the “Batman and Robin” sequel starring George Clooney pulled in $8.6 million in its third week for fifth.

“Out to Sea,” a cruise chip comedy pairing Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, debuted in sixth place with $5.6 million, while “Wild America” premiered at No. 9 with $1.8 million. The movie is about three young brothers trying to document America’s vanishing wilderness.