LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sony's action comedy "Bad Boys For Life" stayed atop the North American box office chart for the third weekend in a row with 17.67 million U.S. dollars, according to studio figures collected by measurement firm Comscore.

The film, with a reported production budget of 90 million dollars, has grossed 148.05 million dollars in North America through Sunday for a global total of 271 million dollars.

"Bad Boys for Life" is the third installment in the hugely successful Bad Boys franchise, the sequel to "Bad Boys 2" and 1995's "Bad Boys." Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their roles as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett as they are back together for one last ride.

Overall box office revenues in North America topped out at an estimated 85 million this weekend, a Super Bowl weekend, according to Comscore. It's better than last year's 74 million dollars but still the second-worst showing in 15 years.

Hollywood studios usually avoid to release new high-profile films during the biggest weekend for American football in which the National Football League (NFL)'s annual championship game is played. It's a tradition for many American fans and families to watch the popular game from home.

Universal's World War I epic "1917" was in second place with 9.66 million dollars in its sixth weekend. Fueled by its strong performance in this Hollywood awards season, the film has grossed 119.2 million dollars in North America for a global cume of 249.15 million dollars.

Directed and co-written by Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of "American Beauty" and James Bond film "Skyfall," the film chronicles the story of two young British soldiers during World War I who are given a seemingly impossible mission, racing against time to cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on 1,600 soldiers.

Universal's fantasy adventure film "Dolittle" came in third with 7.7 million dollars in its third weekend, pushing its North American cume to 55.2 million dollars for a global total of 126.6 million dollars through Sunday.

Directed by Stephen Gaghan and starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, the film is a reboot of the Doctor Dolittle films. The plot follows the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle, a famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria's England, who is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure for Queen Victoria, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and encounters wondrous creatures.

United Artists Releasing's horror film "Gretel & Hansel," one of the only two new wide releases over the weekend, landed in fourth place with 6.1 million dollars. Based on the well-known German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel,the film, helmed by Oz Perkins, the film follows a two children stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil in a dark wood.

STX Entertainment's action comedy film "The Gentlemen" finished fifth with 6.01 million dollars in its second weekend for a North American total of 20.44 million dollars through Sunday.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film follows an American expat who built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he's looking to cash out of the business forever, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.