Get your summer on
Article updated: 9/17/2012 6:42 AM

‘Resident Evil’ is No. 1, but ‘The Master’ smashes records

Buy this photo Buy this photo
next prev 2 of 2
   

This film image released by The Weinstein Co. shows Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a scene from "The Master." The film, which was released in only five theaters made an average of $145,949 per screen, follows Hoffman who plays a charistmatic cult leader and Phoenix his protege and is loosely based on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology.

Associated Press

Gallery Image

Alice (Milla Jovovich) teaches a zombie a lesson in manners during "Resident Evil: Retribution." The fourth installment of the franchise came in No. 1 at the box office unseating "The Possession."

Associated Press

About this Article

The No. 1 film at the box office was "Resident Evil: Retribution," which took in an estimated $21.1 million in its debut. This is the fifth film in the Sony Screen Gems action franchise, starring Milla Jovovich. But the Paul Thomas Anderson's cult drama "The Master" commanded a huge following in its opening weekend, smashing records on just a handful of screens. "We knew we would do a lot of business but we didn't think it would be this big," an official from the Weinstein Co. said about the success of "The Master."