New "Mission: Impossible" cruises to top spot at box office

"Mission: Impossible — Fallout" fired on all cylinders at the box office this weekend and not only came out on the top of the charts but also scored a franchise-best opening.

The sixth film in the series grossed $61.2 million in its first weekend in cinemas, which is also one of star Tom Cruise's best launches.

"Impossible" has 56-year-old Cruise, who famously still does his own cliff-hanging, car-rolling stunts, ordered to track down some missing plutonium and find a terror-minded villain.

Critics seem to like the film despite its evident weaknesses: Though "often ridiculous," The Washington Post wrote, the film "works amazingly well."

The Paramount and Skydance production came out ahead of its predecessor "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation," which debuted to $55 million in 2015, and also marks a franchise best. "Rogue Nation" went on to gross $682 million worldwide.

Christopher McQuarrie directed "Mission: Impossible — Fallout," after having directed "Rogue Nation." He also wrote the script for "Fallout." 

The movie is produced and financed by Paramount and partner Skydance Productions, headed by David Ellison. Cruise is a producer along with McQuarrie, JJ Abrams and Jake Myers. Exec producers are Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger.

Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Michelle Monaghan, and Sean Harris are reprising their roles from previous films, while Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, and Sian Brooke are joining the cast.

The franchise is based on the TV series that ran from 1966 to 1973.

The jukebox musical "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" came in second place with $15.1 million, while "The Equalizer 2" took the third spot with $14 million. Both films were in their second weekend.

Next was "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" with $12.3 million in its third week in cinemas. The weekend's other opener, the animated "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies," opened in fifth with $10.4 million. The Warner Bros film cost $10.5 million to make.