LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Burn After Reading," a spy comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen, narrowly won the weekend box office derby in North America on Sunday, setting a sales record for the Oscar-winning filmmakers.
"Burn," whose cast includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich, sold an estimated $19.4 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada during the three days beginning September 12, distributor Focus Features said.


It represents a new record not only for the Coens but also for Focus, the arthouse arm of General Electric Co's NBC Universal unit. The brothers' previous best was "Ladykillers" with a $12.6 million opening in 2004.

Three other new releases followed: prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry's latest domestic saga "The Family That Preys" at No. 2 with $18 million; the Robert De Niro-Al Pacino cop drama "Righteous Kill" at No. 3 with $16.5 million; and a critically maligned remake of the 1939 distaff drama "The Women" at No. 4 with just $10.1 million.

In fact, critics were hardly more enthused about the other new releases either, including "Burn After Reading," the Coens' first release since they won the best picture Oscar in February for the Texan drama "No Country For Old Men."

"Burn," which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival last month, stars Pitt as a hyperactive gym instructor who tries to extort money from a sacked CIA analyst (Malkovich) whose sensitive memoirs he stumbles across when a computer disc is dropped by accident. Clooney plays a womanizing federal marshal.

Last week's champ, the Nicolas Cage thriller "Bangkok Dangerous," tumbled to No. 8 with $2.4 million. The 10-day total for the film stands at $12.5 million.

"The Family That Preys" and "Bangkok Dangerous" were released by independent studio Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

"Righteous Kill" was released by Overture Films, a fledgling unit of Liberty Media Corp's Starz Media.

"The Women" was released by arthouse studio Picturehouse, which its Time Warner Inc parent is closing down.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Bill Trott)
© Copyright 2008 Reuters.

Photo:
Ethan Cohen (L to R), Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Joel Cohen, Tilda Swinton and George Clooney pose at the red carpet of the Film Festival in Venice August 27, 2008. Pitt, Clooney and Swinton star in Ethan and Joel Coen's movie "Burn After Reading" which is opening this year's Venice Film Festival. REUTERS/Max Rossi