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Disney's "Oz" prequel scores box office gold

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's "Oz the Great and Powerful" dominated movie theaters with an estimated $80.3 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales during the weekend, making it the biggest film debut of 2013.
/ Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's "Oz the Great and Powerful" dominated movie theaters with an estimated $80.3 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales during the weekend, making it the biggest film debut of 2013.

"Oz" stars James Franco as a small-time magician who is whisked to a magical land and mistaken for a wizard. The $200 million, effects-filled movie is a prequel to the 1939 Hollywood classic "The Wizard of Oz."

In the No. 2 spot, adventure film "Jack the Giant Slayer" earned $10 million during its second weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates. Comedy "Identity Thief" starring Melissa McCarthy took third place with $6.3 million.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, released "Jack the Giant Slayer." "Identity Thief" was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Andrea Burzynski; Editing by Bill Trott)