It might not have garnered the best reviews of the franchise, but Paul WS Anderson’s return to the world of Resident Evil, and the extra money he realised it could earn in 3D, mean that the latest instalment, Afterlife, shot to the top of the US box office this weekend, earning a series best opening total of $27.7 million.
Of course, it helped that the film had zero direct competition and was opening on a fairly quiet weekend, in premium-priced 3D at that. Still, it’s an achievement and if you were hoping for more from the zombie-bashing series, you’ve probably got your wish granted already. If that idea fills you with dread, we feel your pain.
The rest of the top five (and the charts themselves) were naturally filled with older releases, as Takers actually managed to lift itself back up one place from third to second, snatching $6.1 million in its third weekend. That was because The American, starring George Clooney, sank quickly from first place, earning $5.8 million in its second week of release. Machete dropped to fourth with $4.2 million and rom-com Going the Distance just about clung on to fifth place, making $3.8 million.
Cop comedy The Other Guys pulled a Takers-style rebound, jumping back up one place to sixth, making $3.6 million in the process and pushing its total to a healthy $112.6 million. The Last Exorcism continues its inexorable slide down the charts, taking $3.4 million, just ahead of The Expendables in eighth with $3.2 million.
At the bottom of the charts, we find Inception about to leave on a high at ninth with $3 million for the weekend (not bad given it has been in cinemas for nine weeks now) and a solid $282.4 million total in America alone to date, while Eat Pray Love slipping to 10th place with $2.9 million.
Fire two guns at the charts while jumping in slow motion over at Box Office Mojo.