LOS ANGELES — "Lone Survivor" triumphed at the weekend box office.
The patriotic Navy SEAL drama starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster smashed expectations to earn $38.5 million domestically in its first weekend in wide release, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Universal film directed by "Friday Night Lights" and "Battleship" filmmaker Peter Berg is based on Marcus Luttrell's memoir about a dangerous mission his Navy SEAL team embarked on in Afghanistan in 2005.
Rocco said "Lone Survivor" performed particularly well in middle America. The movie's launch marks the second biggest opening for a film in January, after the $40.1 million debut of the monster movie "Cloverfield" in 2008.