Horror movie ‘Resident Evil’ tops N. American box office

The horror movie "Resident Evil," based on a video game franchise, dominated the North American box office with a record-breaking opening weekend, grossing US$60 million, according to industry estimates. Directed by Zach Cregger and starring US actor Austin Abrams, the film follows a medical courier battling mutant creatures to deliver a package to a remote hospital.

This success propelled "Resident Evil" from its second-place standing last week, where it was displaced by Warner Bros.' highly anticipated sequel "Practical Magic 2," starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, which earned US$12.2 million. "Spider-Man," another Sony production, maintained its position at the top with US$6.5 million, bringing its total earnings in the United States and Canada to US$944.5 million.

Following "Resident Evil," "The Odyssey" ranked fourth with US$4.9 million, while "Coyote vs Acme" secured fifth place with US$4.5 million. Other notable performances include "The Runner" (US$3.2 million), "Daniel and the Fiery Furnace" (US$3.1 million), "Transformers: The Movie" (US$3.1 million), "The Weight" (US$2.3 million), and "Buddy" (US$1.9 million) rounding out the top 10.