'Beauty and the Beast' dances off with top box-office spot


              This image released by Disney shows Dan Stevens as The Beast, left, and Emma Watson as Belle in a live-action adaptation of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast." (Disney via AP)
This image released by Disney shows Dan Stevens as The Beast, left, and Emma Watson as Belle in a live-action adaptation of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast." (Disney via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" has continued to enchant audiences in its second weekend in theaters.

Studio estimates say the film added $88.3 million to its total this weekend, down only 49 percent from its massive debut. The box-office juggernaut has earned $317 million to date from North American theaters.

In a distant second, Lionsgate's "Power Rangers" opened with a strong $40.5 million. The PG-13 reboot of the campy television show cost a reported $100 million to produce.

Not so mighty were the totals for the two R-rated films that opened this weekend. Warner Bros.' raunchy action comedy "CHIPS" and Sony's space thriller "Life" failed to gain much traction.

"Life" earned $12.6 million, while the critically derided "CHIPS" brought in $7.6 million.

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