LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes clung tight to the top of the North American box office for a second week in a row, earning far more than chimp change, industry data showed Sunday.

The Apes saga, based on the Pierre Boulle sci-fi tale of humans and chimps clashing to survive, earned US$36 million (S$44.6 million) in its second week out, for a total of US$139 million during its two weeks in theater so far, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Second, third and fourth places were each held by box office newcomers. Horror-thriller The Purge: Anarchy scared up US$28.4 million in ticket sales for second place in the sequel's debut week.

Next in line with US$18 million was Planes: Fire & Rescue, the Disney computer-animated tale of talking aircraft working to fight blazes and help save a national park. It follows on the heels of last year's Planes.

In fourth with US$15 million was rom-com Sex Tape, starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel as two parents trying to keep their homemade sex tape from finding its way onto the Internet.

Transformers: Age of Extinction was pushed to fifth place with US$10 million or US$227 million in total ticket sales over four weeks.

In sixth was comic romp Tammy, starring Melissa McCarthy, whose road trip with her alcoholic grandmother, played by Susan Sarandon, brought in US$7.6 million in ticket sales.

Meanwhile cop comedy 22 Jump Street, featuring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, landed in seventh place with US$4.7 million.
Summer blockbuster sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2 raked in US$3.8 million to come in eighth.

And Maleficent, the modern retelling of the life of Sleeping Beauty's arch-nemesis, as played by Angelina Jolie, grossed US$3.3 million to land in ninth place.

Rounding out the top 10 was family-friendly sci-fi flick Earth To Echo, which earned US$3.26 million in its third week.