WASHINGTON (AFP) - It was a dismal weekend for North American cinemas - but Liongates' Boo 2! A Madea Halloween managed to scare some life back into the box office, bagging the top spot, according to industry estimates Sunday.
Starring Tyler Perry - who also wrote, directed and produced the comedy horror sequel - Boo 2! sees Madea (Perry) and the gang head to a haunted campground, only to then have to escape monsters lurking there.
With takings of US$21.7 million, Boo 2! is the tenth Perry title to snatch the top spot on its opening weekend, Deadline reports.
Geostorm - another new release - took second place, but it was a disappointing opening for Warner Bros' latest offering, with earnings of US$13.3 million.
The sci-fi disaster thriller follows Gerard Butler as a satellite designer tasked with saving the world from an apocalyptic storm - caused by climate controlling satellites attacking the planet.
Meanwhile, Happy Death Day dropped to third place from last week's top spot - with takings plummeting from US$26 million to US$9.3 million.
Starring Jessica Rothe, the comedy horror slasher follows a college student who repeatedly relives the day she was murdered until she discovers who killed her.
Sitting in fourth was Warner Bros' Blade Runner: 2049, which halved its earnings for the second weekend running, taking US$7.1 million.
The sci-fi reboot features Ryan Gosling as a new Los Angeles Police Department "blade runner" charged with killing bioengineered androids known as "replicants." After uncovering a secret that threatens society, he embarks on a search for Harrison Ford's character, a former blade runner who disappeared 30 years ago.
In at fifth was Sony's new release Only The Brave, starring Josh Brolin, with earnings of US$6 million.
Based on a true story, the drama tells the tale of the Granite Mountain Hotshots - a group of firefighters in Arizona - who battle to protect a town from an historic wildfire.
Rounding out the top 10 were: The Foreigner (US$5.4 million), It (US$3.5 million), The Snowman (US$3.4 million), American Made (US$3.1 million), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (US$3 million) .
