‘No Good Deed’ tops N. American box office

LOS ANGELES: Thriller "No Good Deed" leapt straight in at the top of the North American box office this weekend, pulling in $24.3 million on its debut, industry data showed Monday.

The movie tells the story of a devoted wife and mother of two who innocently helps out a charming but dangerous escaped convict -- with devastating consequences.

Second with $15.9 million was another new release -- the more sedate "Dolphin Tale 2," a family-friendly sequel starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

The two new entrants relegated science-fiction blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" to third spot, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. The Marvel comics adaptation added another $8.1 million to its seven-week haul for a total $306 million.

Fourth was "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which added $4.9 million from Friday to Sunday to its total earnings for $181.1 million. Next up was comedy "Let´s Be Cops" with $4.4 million.

In sixth place was a new entry, drama "The Drop," which tells the story of a man who unwittingly finds himself at the center of a robbery gone wrong. It pulled in $4.1 million on its first weekend in theaters.

Seventh was teen melodrama "If I Stay" with $3.9 million.

Eighth was "The November Man" with $2.8 million. The thriller stars former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan as an ex-CIA agent lured out of retirement for one last dangerous mission.

In ninth spot was "The Giver," based on Lois Lowry´s 1993 novel, starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and Brenton Thwaites, which took $2.6 million.

And rounding out the top 10, with $2.4 million, was "The Hundred-Foot Journey," a romantic comedy with Helen Mirren and Om Puri as culture-clashing restaurateurs. (AFP)