‘Gone Girl’ tops box office for second weekend

By Sandy Cohen, Associated Press

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 | 3:34 p.m.

Four new films couldn't catch "Gone Girl" at theaters this weekend.

The Fox thriller starring Ben Affleck as a man whose wife goes missing is poised to top the box office for a second week with $26.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Also starring Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl" is based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, who adapted her book for the screen.

"There's a mystery that's surrounding this movie," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box office tracker Rentrak. "To have an adult drama like this hold up so well for two weekends in a row is really unusual."

Universal's "Dracula Untold" opened in second place with $23.4 million. The Disney family romp "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" debuted in third with $19.1 million.

Two Warner Bros. films round out the Top Five. The horror "Annabelle" claimed fourth place in its second week of release with $16.3 million, followed by the Robert Downey Jr.-Robert Duvall drama "The Judge," which debuted with $13.3 million.

Lionsgate's erotic thriller "Addicted" opened in seventh place with $7.6 million.

The diversity of choices at theaters is making for robust post-summer ticket sales, Dergarabedian said: "Were making up a lot of ground after a summer season that was down 15 percent."

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Gone Girl," $26.8 million ($27 million international).

2. "Dracula Untold," $23.4 million ($33.9 million international).

3. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," $19.1 million ($2.8 million international).

4. "Annabelle," $16.3 million ($27 million international).

5. "The Judge," $13.3 million ($1.6 million international).

6. "The Equalizer," $9.7 million ($11.5 million international).

7. "Addicted," $7.6 million.

8. "The Maze Runner," $7.5 million ($13.7 million international).

9. "The Boxtrolls," $6.6 million ($3.6 million international).

10. "Meet the Mormons," $2.9 million.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:

1. "Dracula Untold," $33.9 million.

2. "Guardians of the Galaxy," $28 million.

3. (tie) "Gone Girl," $27 million.

1. (tie) "Annabelle," $27 million.

2. "The Maze Runner," $13.7 million.

3. "Breakup Buddies," $13 million.

4. "The Equalizer," $11.5 million.

5. (tie) "One Direction: Where We Are," $5 million.

1. (tie) "My Love, My Bride," $5 million.

2. "Bang Bang," $4.7 million.

3. "The Boxtrolls," $3.6 million.

4. "Lucy," $3.2 million.