Sony’s fourth entry in the horror franchise easily dominated the first official weekend of the autumn season as an estimated $27.7m as it demolished the competition.

Focus Features’ The American in third stands at $26.7m after two weekend and The Expendables, released in North America through Lionsgate, has amassed $98.5m after five weekends.

Next weekend’s wide releases are Warner Bros’ crime drama The Town from Ben Affleck; Screen Gem’s high school rom-com Easy A starring Emma stone; horror film Devil from Universal; and the animation Alpha And Omega through Lionsgate. Rogue will also release the acclaimed documentary Catfish.

Estimated Top 10 North America September 10-12, 2010

Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (-) Resident Evil: Afterlife (3D) Sony (SPRI) $27.7m –

2 (3) Takers (Screen Gems) SPRI $6.1m $48.1m

3 (1) The American (Focus Features) FFI $5.9m $26.7m

4 (2) Machete (Fox) Hyde Park International $4.2m $20.8m

5 (5) Going The Distance (Warner Bros) WBPI $3.8m $14m

6 (7) The Other Guys (Sony) SPRI $3.6m $112.7m

7 (4) The Last Exorcism (Lionsgate) StudioCanal $3.5m $38.2m

8 (6) The Expendables (Lionsgate) Nu Image $3.3m $98.5m

9 (9) Inception (Warner Bros) WBPI $3m $282.4m

10 (8) Eat Pray Love (Sony) SPRI $2.9m $74.6m

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