LOS ANGELES - “Deadpool's” three-week reign atop the box office has ended thanks to a handful of new openers, including “Zootopia” and “London Has Fallen.”

The top spot went to Disney's “Zootopia” which staged a box office stampede in its first weekend in theatres with $73.7 million, according to comScore estimates Sunday. It's the fourth highest March opening ever and a best for a Disney Animation three-day debut.

The studio's previous record-holder, “Frozen,” grossed $67.4 million over three days in its Thanksgiving opening.

Critics and audiences love the film, which features the voices of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin. It got a coveted A CinemaScore and a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. According to exit polls, families made up 73 per cent of opening weekend audiences.

Dave Hollis, Disney's Executive Vice-President of Distribution, said “Zootopia” is the latest in a “creative renaissance” for the Disney Animation group, including “Tangled,” ”Frozen,“ ”Big Hero 6“ and ”Wreck-It Ralph.“

“There is consistency at a really high level of delivering great stories, amazing worlds and characters who people can relate to,” Hollis said, noting that “Zootopia” is the only true all-audience film in the marketplace until Disney's “The Jungle Book” bows on April 15.

In second place, “London Has Fallen,” a sequel to the “Die Hard” in the White House pic “Olympus Has Fallen,” earned $21.7 million. The main cast returned for the film, including Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman, which cost a reported $60 million to make.

While it's a decent debut, it does lag behind the first film's $30 million opening. But it's a welcome change of pace for Butler, whose “Gods of Egypt” bombed in its opening last weekend.

In its fourth weekend in theatres, “Deadpool” fell to third place with $16.4 million, bringing its domestic total to a staggering $311.2 million.

The Tina Fey comedy “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” meanwhile, debuted in fourth with an estimated $7.6 million. The film cost a reported $35 million to produce.

The movie, which finds Fey's journalist character on assignment in Afghanistan, has garnered mixed to positive reviews from critics. According to exit polls, audiences were 56 per cent female and 89 per cent over 25.

Fey's last film, “Sisters,” was budgeted at $30 million. It opened to $13.9 million against “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and went on to earn $87 million domestically.

“It's a great weekend,” said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “And it's another better-than-expected debut in a time of year that doesn't usually breed great opening weekends.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1.“Zootopia,” $73.7 million.

2.“London Has Fallen,” $21.7 million.

3.“Deadpool,” $16.4 million.

4.“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” $7.6 million.

5.“Gods of Egypt,” $5 million.

6.“Risen,” $3.9 million.“

7.“Kung Fu Panda 3,” $3.5 million.

8.“The Revenant,” $3.3 million.

9.“Eddie The Eagle,” $3.1 million.

10.“The Witch,” $2.5 million.