'San Andreas' delivers powerful punch at the box office

Dwayne Johnson, left, as Ray, and Carla Gugino as Emma in "San Andreas." (The Associated Press)

Dwayne Johnson’s “San Andreas” has delivered a dominating $53.2 million opening weekend at 3,777 U.S. locations, soaring past recent forecasts of a $40 million launch for Warner Bros.’ 3D disaster pic.

“San Andreas” took in about five times as much as the opening of Sony’s romantic-comedy “Aloha,” which arrived amid extensive negative buzz  — despite the star power of Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams.

“San Andreas” underlines Johnson’s drawing power in the wake of being a key component of Universal’s “Furious 7″ and its $1.5 billion worldwide gross. He’s been front and center in the promotion for “San Andreas” as a heroic helicopter pilot seeking to rescue his daughter, played by Alexandra Daddario, amid the rubble of a mega-quake.

“Johnson is clearly one of then most bankable stars working today,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Rentrak.

Village Roadshow Pictures co-financed and co-produced “San Andreas” with Warners for $110 million, with most of the film lensing in Australia to take advantage of government incentives.

This article originally appeared in Variety.