Ghost and guns sweep box office

Spooky thriller Ouija haunted the top of the North American box office, industry estimates showed on Sunday.

The supernatural horror flick, about a group of friends who awaken an ancient spirit with a Ouija board - a game where players attempt to talk with ghosts - earned US$20 million (S$25.5 million) in its opening weekend, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Another new release, action movie John Wick, blasted into second place, pushing Brad Pitt's war movie Fury down to third.

Starring Keanu Reeves as a former hitman who returns from retirement to take revenge on gangsters who attacked him, John Wick raked in US$14.2 million in ticket sales.

Fury, a gory World War II film that has already been turned into a video game, fell from first place. It earned US$13 million, putting its two-week total at just over US$46 million.

Gone Girl, starring Ben Affleck as a man accused of murdering his wife, was in fourth place with US$11.1 million, putting its four-week haul at US$124 million.

Animated comedy The Book Of Life, featuring the voices of Mexican star Diego Luna as well as Hollywood's Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum, was in fifth, with US$9.8 million in box office sales.

Meanwhile, St Vincent, a comedy starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts, jumped to sixth place in its first weekend in wide release.

The film, about a young boy who befriends the crusty war veteran living next door, earned US$8.1 million.

Disney's Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - based on a children's book of the same name and starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner - took seventh place with just over US$7 million.

The Best Of Me, starring James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan as high school sweethearts who reunite in their home town, debuted in fifth place, earning just over US$4.7 million.

Robert Downey Jr's much-anticipated The Judge, co-starring 83-year-old Robert Duvall, fell to ninth place, with US$4.35 million, putting its three-week take at a disappointing US$34.4 million.

In 10th spot, action-horror film Dracula Untold brought in US$4.3 million.