'Hitman' shrugs off box-office doldrums to stay on top

For the third consecutive weekend "The Hitman's Bodyguard" was the top film in North American box offices, but the cinematic scene remained deep in the summer doldrums, according to final three-day numbers from website Exhibitor Relations.

The US Labor Day weekend was the worst in 17 years, industry watchers said, noting the lack of any major new releases.

But Lionsgate's "Hitman" managed to take in $10.5 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period and $13.4 million for the four days including Labor Day, the only movie this summer to cling to the top for three straight weeks. "Hitman" has taken in nearly $100 million worldwide.

The action comedy, starring Ryan Reynolds as a bodyguard protecting a notorious hitman (Samuel L. Jackson), outperformed Warner Bros.'s horror film "Annabelle: Creation" for the second straight week.

"Annabelle," part of the popular "Conjuring" franchise of movies, took in a three-day total of $7.5 million, and $9.3 million including Monday sales, industry websites reported.

Crime thriller "Wind River" from Weinstein Co. came in third, taking in a three-day total of $6.2 million ($8 million for four days). It stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as federal agents trying to solve a murder on an Indian reservation.

In fourth, also from the Weinstein brothers, was the animated family picture "Leap!" about a young orphan, voiced by Elle Fanning, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer in 19th century Paris. It had a three-day net of $4.9 million ($6.6 million for four days).

Staying steady at fifth was Steven Soderbergh's droll action film "Logan Lucky," which for the second straight week netted $4.6 million over three days ($5.6 million including Monday). It stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Riley Keough in an unconventional heist comedy set at a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

The season has been a rough one for the film industry. The ComScore website predicts final figures for summer ticket sales in North America will be down 15 percent from last year, with attendance down 16 percent.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Dunkirk" ($4.4 million)

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" ($3.7 million)

"Despicable Me 3" ($2.5 million)

"The Emoji Movie" ($2.5 million)

"Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature" ($2.1 million)

Source: AFP