LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Universal's "House With A Clock In Its Walls" topped North American box office with an estimated 26.85 million U.S. dollars in its opening weekend, outpacing expectations.
The fantasy comedy film, based on the kids book of the same name by John Bellairs, is directed by Eli Roth and stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and Owen Vaccaro among others. The plot follows a 10-year-old orphan who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house, which is haunted by the original owner's ghost, who's about to end the world with a clock he had made and hidden within the house before his death.
The family friendly film with a production budget of 42 million dollars received a "B+" rating from moviegoers on CinemaScore and a 68 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lionsgate's "A Simple Favor" came in second with an estimated 10.4 million dollars in its second weekend for a North American total of 32.56 million dollars, according to studio figures collected by comScore.
The mystery drama film, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, is directed by Paul Feig. The film follows a small-town blogger who tries to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her best friend.
Warner Bros. and New Line's supernatural horror film "The Nun" landed in third with an estimated 10.25 million dollars in its third weekend. The film has earned a total of 100.89 million dollars in North America through Sunday.
Directed by Corin Hardy and starring Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet, "The Nun" cost a reported 22 million to produce. It is the fifth installment in "The Conjuring" film Universe. The plot follows a priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
20th Century Fox's release of "The Predator" moved to fourth place with an estimated 8.7 million dollars in its second weekend for a North American total of 40.43 million dollars. The science fiction action film is the fourth installment in the Predator film series, not including the two "Alien vs. Predator" crossover films. Directed by Shane Black with an 88 million dollars budget, the film follows a ragtag crew must fight to save the human race from an invading pair of Predators.
Rounding out the Top 5, Warner Bros.' Asian-centric film "Crazy Rich Asians" brought in an estimated 6.51 million dollars in its sixth weekend for a North American total of 159.43 million dollars. The romantic comedy-drama film, based on Kevin Kwan's novel of the same name, is the first Hollywood studio film in over 25 years to feature a nearly all Asian cast. Directed by Chinese American filmmaker Jon M. Chu, the plot follows a young Chinese American woman who travels to meet her boyfriend's family, only to find them to be among the richest in Singapore.
