Will Smith was crowned king of the July 4 box office once again at the weekend with Hancock, his film about a drunk, down-and-out superhero, final figures showed.

The movie – which opened to mixed reviews – netted US$62.6 million to take top spot in North America, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

It was the fifth time that a Will Smith movie had opened in top spot over the prestigious July 4 weekend following his Independence Day, Wild Wild West and both of the Men in Black films.

The former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star portrays a down-on-his-luck hero who drowns his sorrows in booze until he saves the life of a public relations executive who vows to remake his image.

In second place was the critically acclaimed WALL-E, the latest animated offering from Pixar, which tells the tale of a trash-compacting robot who falls in love in a post-apocalyptic world. WALL-E, which is being tipped as a possible best picture contender at next year’s Oscars, earned $32.5 million.

In third place, pulling in $20 million, was the action-thriller Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie as a pouty sharpshooter who lures James McAvoy into a fraternity of assassins.

Get Smart, a remake of a 1960s television series about the misadventures of bumbling US secret agent Maxwell Smart, came in fourth with $11.1 million.

In fifth place was Kung Fu Panda, the animated adventures of a kindly panda forced to become a martial-arts master to save his jungle from leopard villains. The film took in $7.3 million at the weekend.

The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton as the Marvel Comics superhero who turns fierce when angry, was sixth with $4.9 million.

Seventh place went to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with $3.8 million.

Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl, the story of a 10-year-old who struggles to grow up during the Great Depression, made a surprise return to the top 10 in its 23rd week in theatres, raking in $3.3 million for the eighth slot.

The glitter and glam of New York City’s Sex and the City, stars stayed strong in ninth place with $2.4 million in its ninth week.

Rounding out the top 10 was the Adam Sandler comedy You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, which earned $2 million in ticket sales.