The big story of the weekend was the battle between female comedy The Heat and the action thriller White House Down. Each had been predicted to make $30 million over the weekend. However, the results were quite different: one soared and one flopped.

Starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, The Heat, which cost only $43 million to make, opened to $40 million, settling in the second place. It signalled another major win to director Paul Feig, who directed the comedy hit Bridesmaids in 2011.

The film tells the story of uptight FBI agent (Bullock) and a feisty cop (McCarthy), who chase after a drug dealer.

The numbers were not as lofty for the White House Down, which opened no. 4 to a dismal $25.7 million. Starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx and directed by Roland Emmerich, the film cost $150 million to produce.

3D Animated film Monsters University held to number 1 in the US box office, adding $46.2 million in its second weekend, pushing its domestic total to $171 million. It was ranked number 2 worldwide thanks to an additional $44.2 million overseas, which pushed its international total of $129.3 million and worldwide cume to $300.

The third spot was claimed by Brad Pitt’s World War Z, which continued to impress, grossing $30 million in the US, to reach a domestic cume of $124 million. The Zombie thriller drew a stellar $70.1 million overseas, pushing its international gross to $135.3 million. Worldwide, the film was ranked number 1.

Breaking the $500 million globally, Man of Steel landed in 5th place in the US with $20.8 million in its third weekend, reaching a domestic total of $247 million. It also added $52.2 million overseas, putting it number 3 globally.

Although it hasn’t yet opened in the US, animated movie Despicable Me 2 grossed a massive $41.5 million in only 7 international markets to place number 4 worldwide.