‘The Possession’ still tops in US

LOS ANGELES, United States of America – Horror flick “The Possession” retained the top spot in a slow weekend at the North American box office, industry estimates said Sunday, September 9, with Depression-era gangster tale “Lawless” still in second place.

“The Possession,” a supernatural thriller starring Kyra Sedgwick, pulled in US$9.5-M. “Lawless,” based on Matt Bondurant’s 2008 novel “The Wettest County in the World,” took in US$6-M.

Each earned less than half of their take from their debuts last week during the 3-day Labor Day holiday weekend.

New release “The Words,” a literary drama about an author who earns fame by stealing another writer’s work, opened in 3rd place, with US$5-M in sales.

Action romp “The Expendables 2,” starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, continued its drop, finishing 4th this weekend, with US$4.8 million, but it was still ahead of “The Bourne Legacy” that earned US$4-M.

“ParaNorman,” an animated movie about a boy who can speak to the dead, held onto its spot just behind the two action blockbusters, earning US$3.8-M in box office receipts.

In 7th place, quirky fantasy-comedy “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” brought in US$3.7-M, squeezing ahead of political spoof “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, that took in US$3.5-M.

Rounding out the top 10 were the latest Batman film,”The Dark Knight Rises,” and political documentary “2016: Obama’s America,” by conservative writer and commentator Dinesh D’Souza, that were almost tied at US$3.3-M. – Agence France-Presse