NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day," described as his first popcorn movie in years, debuted with an impressive $44 million in domestic theaters, according to studio estimates reported on Sunday. The film collected a total of $92.9 million globally during its opening weekend, marking a significant achievement for the legendary director at 79, as it became his best opening for an original film when adjusted for inflation.

Notably, "Disclosure Day," released by Universal Pictures, is Spielberg's first summer release in a decade and was launched in a vastly different cinematic landscape compared to his previous blockbusters like "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park." The film's closest competitor was the indie horror sensation "Obsession," directed by Curry Barker, a filmmaker significantly younger than Spielberg.

Jim Orr, Universal's distribution chief, stated, "It played very, very evenly across all of the U.S. and Canada. It did not come across as a coastal big-market movie. It resonated with everybody." Despite expectations that ticket sales might be affected by a high-profile NBA finals game, Orr noted that box office figures in New York remained strong.

The demographic for "Disclosure Day" skewed slightly older, with 41% of moviegoers aged 45 and up, contrasting with the younger audiences that had driven ticket sales in recent weeks. Orr expressed optimism, stating, "What’s encouraging is that we had this big an opening with that audience demographic and with the fact that it’s an original film.” He added that strong word-of-mouth and an appealing older demographic could fuel a successful run through the summer.

The film reintroduces Spielberg's fascination with alien life, featuring an ensemble cast including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo who embark on a quest to uncover governmental evidence of UFO encounters. The production budget for "Disclosure Day" was set at $115 million.

While the initial box office numbers are promising, the film, like many original movies, will need to demonstrate longevity for overall success. Initial reviews have been positive, with an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audience reactions have been more subdued, reflected in a "B" CinemaScore.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, commented, "It’s off to a solid start. Let’s see how it plays in the coming weeks. If it holds like some of these other films have, like 'Project Hail Mary,' 'Michael,' 'Obsession,' it will be in good shape.” He emphasized that maintaining box office momentum has been crucial this year, especially during the summer season.

Meanwhile, the success of "Obsession" continues, surpassing its initial $17.2 million debut for the fourth consecutive weekend, adding $19 million this weekend alone. This brings its North American gross to $188.3 million, while its worldwide total stands at $286.5 million. With a production cost of less than $1 million, "Obsession" is classified among the most profitable films in recent memory.

In contrast, last weekend's top film, "Scary Movie," dropped to third place with $14.5 million, experiencing a steep decline of 73% from its opening weekend, but is still performing well due to its manageable production budget of $30 million, accumulating a two-week domestic total of $88.6 million.

A24’s "Backrooms" earned $11.3 million in its third weekend, rapidly approaching a global total of $262.3 million. In its second weekend, Amazon MGM’s "Masters of the Universe" saw a significant drop of 71%, bringing in $8.7 million for a two-week domestic total of $46.7 million.

Looking ahead, The Walt Disney Co.’s highly anticipated "Toy Story 5" is set to open next weekend with substantial expectations from audiences and industry analysts alike.

Here’s a summary of the top 10 movies by domestic box office for the weekend, based on estimates from Rentrak:

1. "Disclosure Day," $44 million.
2. "Obsession," $19 million.
3. "Scary Movie," $14.5 million.
4. "Backrooms," $11.3 million.
5. "Masters of the Universe," $8.7 million.
6. "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," $4.7 million.
7. "Michael," $4.1 million.
8. "The Furious," $2.8 million.
9. "Stop! That! Train!," $2 million.
10. "The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act," $1.8 million.