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The celebrity tabloids continue to pick apart Tom Cruise; moviegoers continue not to care. “Oblivion,” Mr. Cruise’s latest big-screen adventure, was a stronger-than-expected No. 1 at North American theaters over the weekend, with ticket sales of about $38.2 million.

The PG-13 film, a dystopian science fiction thriller, has already taken in $112 million overseas, giving Mr. Cruise another global hit. “Oblivion” was expensive to make, however. Universal Pictures said it cost $120 million, but the Hollywood trade news site Deadline.com reported that the total budget may have been sharply higher.

The well-reviewed baseball drama “42” (Warner Brothers) was second for the weekend, taking in a robust $18 million, for a two-week total of $54.1 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box office data. “The Croods” (20th Century Fox) chugged away in third place, selling about $9.5 million in tickets, for a five-week total of $154.9 million. “Scary Movie V” (Weinstein) and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (Paramount) rounded out the top five.