The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "Resident Evil: Afterlife" ($10.9 million)
#2 "The American" ($1.79 million)
#3 "Takers" ($1.78 million)
#4 "Machete" ($1.33 million)
#5 "Going the Distance" ($1.30 million)
The "Resident Evil" series proved it's still filled with life at the box office. The latest installment in the undead-packed sci-fi franchise, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" pulled in $10.9 million during its first day on screens. Moviegoers checking out the return of zombie-fighter Alice (Milla Jovovich), who scours a bleak planet for survivors in the wake of a vicious virus that ravaged the globe five years earlier, placed the film at the top of the box office. Since its 2002 debut, the series has been reinvigorated with 3-D effects and, as Jovovich recently told MTV News, "In this movie, I have a lot more guns. That was fun too."
George Clooney's turn in "The American," as a hitman on the run after an assignment goes south, continued to draw action fans during its second week in theaters. Although the flick opened at #1 last week, the film was far behind Friday's box-office victor "Resident Evil," scoring $1.79 million in ticket sales.
"Takers" continued to maintain a strong presence in theaters, running neck and neck with "The American" for third place with an estimated $1.78 million in ticket sales. Moviegoers are still heading to multiplexes to catch the slick heist flick crammed with stunts that star and producer T.I. has called "outstanding."
"I think all of this is just a result of the hard work that was put into the project. Everybody gave 150 percent. Nobody laid back, nobody took off — everybody went hard. This is the result of that," the rapper and actor told MTV News in August.
The Robert Rodriguez-directed "Machete" upholds the action-heavy trend among Friday's box-office winners. Touting a diverse ensemble that includes Jessica Alba, Don Johnson and Lindsay Lohan, the flick scored $1.33 million, just squeaking ahead of sunny rom-com "Going the Distance," which kicked off its second week in theaters in fifth place with $1.30 million.
Check out everything we've got on "Resident Evil: Afterlife" and "The American."
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