We all know that there’s nothing like a little controversy to boost ticket sales, and apparently all of the buzz was a godsend for Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, which weathered the media storm and came out on top of the box office with a stellar $44 million opening weekend. That’s easily the biggest debut ever for a Darren Aronofsky film and, surprisingly, it’s also the biggest debut for a Russell Crowe film (not counting Man of Steel). The movie didn’t get the support of some church groups, but it managed to attract a mainstream audience which is all that really matters. Divergent dropped to #2 but had a decent second weekend, pulling in $26.5 million, while Muppets Most Wanted fell to #3. Mr. Peabody & Sherman and God’s Not Dead rounded out the top 5 with the latter providing a faith-based alternative to Noah. Elsewhere, it was another tepid opening for a new Arnold Schwarzenegger film as David Ayer’s Sabotage tanked with just $5.3 million. Is it time for Arnold to start thinking about retirement?

1. Noah — $44M
2. Divergent — $26.5M
3. Muppets Most Wanted — $11.4M
4. Mr. Peabody & Sherman — $9.5M
5. God’s Not Dead — $9.1M
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel — $8.8M
7. Sabotage — $5.3M
8. Need for Speed — $4.3M
9. 300: Rise of an Empire — $4.3M
10. Non-Stop — $4.1M