Shark thriller stands out in sea of new releases

NEW YORK - Adding to Hollywood's sizzling summer, the shark thriller The Meg opened well above expectations with an estimated $44.5 million in ticket sales, while Spike Lee had his best debut in a decade.

The Meg had been forecast by some analysts for closer to half that total. An American-Chinese coproduction between Warner Bros and China's Gravity Pictures, it also debuted well overseas, taking in $50.3 million in China and totaling $96.8 million internationally, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

With an international cast led by Jason Statham and featuring Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson and Winston Chao, The Meg cost at least $130 million to make.