'Evil' franchise is no zombie

LOS ANGELES -- The undead of "Resident Evil" still have plenty of life in them.

"Resident Evil: Extinction," with Milla Jovovich again fighting flesh-hungry zombies in the third installment based on the video game, opened as the No. 1 weekend flick with $24 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was the best debut for the franchise, topping the $23 million debut of part two, 2004's "Resident Evil: Apocalypse."

Sony Screen Gems hinted there could be more "Resident Evil" movies, though the latest had been billed as the final one.

"Until the next," joked Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution. "It absolutely would not surprise me considering the success of the franchise that they find a way to come up with another. It's a real possibility."

1. "Resident Evil: Extinction," $24 million

2. "Good Luck Chuck," $14 million

3. "The Brave One," $7.4 million

4. "3:10 to Yuma," $6.35 million

5. "Eastern Promises," $5.7 million

6. "Sydney White," $5.3 million

7. "Mr. Woodcock," $5 million

8. "Superbad," $3.1 million

9. "The Bourne Ultimatum," $2.8 million

10. "Dragon Wars," $2.5 million