'Hidden Figures' soars in second week atop box office

LOS ANGELES: "Hidden Figures," a story about three black women mathematicians who helped NASA put the first men in space, soared into its second week atop the box office, industry estimates for North America showed on Sunday.

The Fox film, a biographical comedy-drama based on a book of the same name, stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, whose characters must deal with segregation in the 1950s and 1960s workplace.

It brought in $20.5 million in the US and Canada this weekend, according to box-office monitors Exhibitor Relations, and $59.68 million since it premiered four weeks ago.

"La La Land," a nostalgic tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals that just took home eight Golden Globes, rocketed to the number two spot. It took in $14.5 million ($77.08 million overall).

Universal's animated musical "Sing" was in third, with a $13.8 million take over the weekend and an accumulated total of $238.5 million.

The first stand-alone episode in the eight-film "Star Wars" series, "Rogue One" follows the mission of rebel alliance fighters trying to steal plans to the Empire's feared Death Star.

The movie pulled in $13.76 million over the weekend, according to box-office monitor Exhibitor Relations, bringing its four-week total to $502.29 million.

In its first weekend out, "The Bye Bye Man" notched fifth place, taking in $13.38 million. The horror flick is based on a chapter Robert Damon Schneck's book "The President's Vampire."

Rounding out the Top 10 are:

"Patriot's Day" ($12 million)

"Monster Trucks" ($10.5 million)

"Sleepless" ($8.47 million)

"Underworld: Blood Wars" ($5.8 million)

"Passengers" ($5.5 million)