It's all over for It as Kingsman: The Golden Circle tops box office

Actor Taron Egerton in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which dominated North American box offices in its debut weekend. PHOTO: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The espionage comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle dominated North American box offices in its debut weekend, industry figures showed Sunday (Sept 24).

It ousted It, a freaky horror hit which had held the crown for two weeks.

With a star-studded cast featuring Colin Firth, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry and even Elton John, Kingsman raked in an estimated US$39 million (S$52.6 million) for the weekend, according to Exhibitor Relations.

The sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Golden Circle sees British spy organisation Kingsman join forces with American counterpart Statesman to take on a new global threat.

It, based on a Stephen King novel and starring Bill Skarsgard as a creepy clown who menaces a sleepy Maine town, earned an estimated US$30 million - half its take last weekend.

But having stormed the box office in its opening weekend with revenue of US$123 million, It still boasts impressive earnings of US$266.3 million in only three weeks.

In at third was new animation The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third instalment of Warner Bros.' The Lego Movie franchise, which made US$21.2 million.

Trailing far behind in fourth was American Assassin, starring Dylan O'Brien as a CIA "black ops" recruit who teams up with crusty veteran agent Michael Keaton to fight terrorists. The film took in just US$6.2 million, bringing its total earnings to US$21.6 million in two weeks.

Now in its third week, Open Road Films' Home Again dropped one place to fifth with a take of US$3.3 million. With earnings totalling US$22.3 million, the romantic comedy stars Reese Witherspoon as a newly single woman whose life changes when three young men move into her house.

Rounding out the top 10 were: Mother! (US$3.2 million), Friend Request (US$2.4 million), The Hitman's Bodyguard (US$1.8 million), Stronger (US$1.7 million) and Wind River (US$1.2 million).

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