HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The Anthony Hopkins supernatural thriller The Rite earned $15 million to debut as the No. 1 movie at the weekend box office, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
Inspired by true events, the Warner Bros. films tells the story an American seminary student (Colin O’Donoghue) who attends exorcism school at the Vatican and finds faith through encounters with demonic forces.
Last week’s top film, the Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy No Strings Attached, fell to second place at $13.7 million.
The Mechanic opened in a third-place tie with The Green Hornet as both films had ticket sales of $11.5 million.
The weekend’s top five was rounded out by The King’s Speech, which earned $11.1 million in its 10th week of release.
Weekend Box Office — January 28-30, 2011:
1. The Rite, $15 million.
2. No Strings Attached, $13.7 million.
3. The Green Hornet, $11.5 million.
3. The Mechanic, $11.5 million.
5. The King’s Speech, $11.1 million.
6. True Grit, $7.6 million.
7. The Dilemma, $5.5 million.
8. Black Swan, $5.1 million.
9. The Fighter, $4.1 million.
10. Yogi Bear, $3.2 million.
