‘22 Jump Street’ is top of the class in box office derby

The cops are beating up the dragon.

“22 Jump Street,” the sequel to the hit about two inept cops who infiltrate a high school, seems to have scored a triumph in the clash of the sequels in this weekend’s box office. The new film got off to a solid lead over “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” taking in an estimated $25 million on Friday, an impressive start for the well-reviewed film.

The turnout Friday for “22 Jump Street,” starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, makes it the second highest-scoring R-rated comedy debut, behind “The Hangover Part II,” which pulled in $31.6 million in its opening day. The original film, “21 Jump Street” took in $13.6 million in its opening day.

The Columbia and MGM film should bring in at least $60 million through the weekend, analysts estimate.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation’s sequel “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” brought in an estimated $18.5 million on Friday. “Dragon 2,” also a critical favorite, is likely to get a bump from the weekend family crowd, particularly on Father’s Day on Sunday. But it will be difficult to overcome “22 Jump Street’s” early lead and is likely to take in $50 million to $55 million over the weekend.

Last week’s top film, “The Fault in Our Stars” dropped to third place with $6.35 million in its opening day. The live-action fairy tale “Maleficent,” with Angelina Jolie, came in fourth with $5.8 million. The Tom Cruise sci-fi vehicle, “Edge of Tomorrow,” continues to struggle, taking in $4.56 million on Friday to land in fifth.

Twitter: @GeBraxton