'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' takes box office lead

Stephen Sommers' action film "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" stormed to the top of the North American box office Friday with a solid $22.3 million in ticket sales.

The film based on the popular Hasbro action figure opened at 4,007 locations, scoring an average of $5,565 per theater. The action-packed spectacle follows a unit of soliders tracking down a ruthless weapons manufacturer planning to take over the world.

At No. 2, Nora Ephron's comedy "Julie & Julia" finished with a daily gross of $6.5 million at 2,354 locations. Based on two true stories, the film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams follows two women whose passions for cooking guide them to new happiness.

This weekend's third new entry, "A Perfect Getaway," only made it to No. 7, earning $2.1 million from ticket sales at 2,159 locations. The thriller with Milla Jovovich follows a bunch of couples encountering their worst nightmare on a Hawaiian vacation.

Meanwhile, Disney's "G-Force" took the No. 3 spot Friday with a gross of $3 million for a domestic total of $79.3 million. Following in fourth place with $2.6 million was Judd Apatow's "Funny People," which reached a cume of $35.1 million.

Finally, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" took home $2.5 million at No. 5, bringing its total haul to $267.4 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)