Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Topples 'Gone Girl' From Box Office Throne

 The reigning champion had to bow down to the World War II drama after the latter took in an estimated $23.5 million.

"Fury" predictably stole the box office crown from two-weekend champion "Gone Girl". The Brad Pitt-starring World War II drama took in an estimated $23.5 million, a considerably good start for a film made on $68 million budget.

"The relationship and camaraderie of the cast is really poignant in the film, which is also very visceral and action packed," Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for

Sony

, said in a statement. "We're feeling really good about it. It's a very good opening for us and it's a movie that we're so proud to be a part of."

Directed by David Ayer, "Fury" benefited from word-of-mouth campaign and the support of its cast. It received an 80 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A-minus grade from CinemaScore. About 60 percent of the audience was male and 51 percent was older than 35.

"Studios use star power as the No. 1 marketing tool, and Brad Pitt has that," said Phil Contrino, box office analyst for BoxOffice.com. "But it's not star power alone which gets people to the theaters. Brad Pitt picks smart pictures that people want to see."