The results are a relief for Paramount Pictures, the Viacom Inc.-owned studio that has weathered significant criticism in recent weeks over director Darren Aronofsky's telling of the Genesis ark story. Most of the attention around the $125 million production--Hollywood's first biblical epic in decades--focused on the discomfort of religious leaders, many of whom declined to offer the full-throated endorsements that can drive churchgoers to the multiplex. Based on pre-release market research, the movie had been expected to make about $40 million this weekend.

Moviegoers' grades for the Russell Crowe release spoke to the polarizing nature of the film, which took significant liberties with the original text to adapt a spare biblical story into a Hollywood epic. According to the CinemaScore research firm, more than 60% of moviegoers gave the film an 'A' or 'B' grade, while 14% gave it a 'D' or 'F.' The movie's overall score was a 'C.'

Over the past couple of years, Paramount has reached out to faith leaders to try and get religious communities on board with the film. The studio said better-than-usual performances in markets like Oklahoma City, Houston and San Antonio indicated interest from the faithful.

'Noah' should perform better overseas than domestically, said Rob Moore, vice chairman at Paramount, since action-packed spectacles do particularly well in international territories and a biblical character like Noah has immediate name recognition. The movie has grossed $51.1 million internationally so far, in markets that include South Korea and Mexico. Its opening in Russia this weekend was an especially strong $17.2 million. The movie will next open in territories that include Brazil and Germany, but the studio has yet to hear whether the film will screen in the all-important Chinese market, where audiences flock to blockbusters but state censors may resist a biblically inspired film.

Domestically, Paramount says it expects 'Noah' to hold well at the box office and in the coming weeks attract older viewers, who tend to see movies later. The teen audience needed to keep 'Noah' and other films afloat will be harder to come by next week when 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' from Walt Disney Co.'s Marvel Studios is released and kicks off the summer blockbuster season. For its part, Paramount hopes that the debate generated by its film drives moviegoers who want see what the commotion is about.

'It seems like the conversation is just starting,' said Mr. Moore.

In other box office news, 'Divergent' from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. dropped to second place in its second week, collecting an estimated $26.5 million for a cumulative $95.3 million in the U.S. and Canada. Disney's 'Muppets Most Wanted' took third place with $11.4 million for a two-week total of $33.2 million.

The week's other new release, 'Sabotage' starring action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as a DEA agent, was busted on arrival. The Open Road Films movie grossed $5.3 million in seventh place.

In a sign of just how powerful Christian endorsements can be for a film. 'God's Not Dead,' a faith-based movie starring Kevin Sorbo as a college professor on a journey of faith, collected $9.1 million from nearly 1,200 theaters in its second weekend. The Pure Flix Entertainment movie added about 360 theaters this weekend and managed a second-weekend gross just 2% below its debut last week.