New number one doc at box office: IMAX feature 'A Beautiful Planet'

Docs on artists Eva Hesse and David Hockney in top five; City of Gold still chugging 

The latest IMAX ultra-big screen documentary is off to a strong start.

A Beautiful Planet, directed and produced by Toni Myers and narrated by actress Jennifer Lawrence, premiered over the weekend, earning a total of $223,983, according to audience measurement firm Rentrak.

The film, playing on 137 IMAX screens, explores Earth from the unique vantage point of the International Space Station.

Aboard the International Space Station a crew of astronauts from around the globe captures the wonders of our world.

   --From Jennifer Lawrence's narration in A Beautiful Planet

The film was made with the cooperation of NASA and features cinematography by IMAX filmmaking veteran James Neihouse.

"A Beautiful Planet is a breathtaking portrait of Earth from space, providing a unique perspective and increased understanding of our planet and galaxy as never seen before," IMAX wrote on its website. "A Beautiful Planet presents an awe-inspiring glimpse of Earth and a hopeful look into the future of humanity."

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The debut of A Beautiful Planet pushed The First Monday in May -- which had been number one the previous couple of weeks -- into second place with a weekend take of $73,184. Its cume now stands at $372,498 after three weeks of release, per Rentrak.

Coming in third among docs over the weekend was Francofonia, a documentary about the effort to spare the treasures of the Louvre from peril during the Second World War.

Fourth and fifth place respectively went to Eva Hesse and Hockney, two more art-related documentaries 

Eva Hesse, directed by Marcie Begleiter, tells the story of a German-born artist who rose to prominence in New York in the late 60s, but whose life came to a tragic close at 34. Actress Selma Blair portrays the voice of Hesse. The film opens at the Monica in Los Angeles May 13, following its debut in New York.

In fifth place came Hockney, the documentary directed by Randall Wright about acclaimed British painter David Hockney. Read my interview with Wright here. It's a fascinating look at one of the world's most gifted artists, who at age 78 is still a vital creative force.

City of Gold, the documentary about Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold, continued its strong box office run, placing sixth among nonfiction films. Its total stands at nearly $600,000.

Laura Gabbert directed the film, which is now in its eighth week of theatrical release.