Box Office: ‘Gone Girl’ Continues to Soar for $26M Weekend; ‘Dracula Untold’ No. 2

Gone Girl is having no trouble making the competition disappear at the North American box office.

After narrowly losing Friday to new entry Dracula Untold, David Fincher‘s Gone Girl is expected to pull ahead on Saturday and once again top the box-office chart with an impressive $26 million-plus weekend. That’s a decline of just 30 percent for the R-rated film, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

The film’s stellar hold despite a flood of new offerings raises the possibility that Gone Girl, based Gillian Flynn‘s popular movie, could ultimately become Fincher’s top-grossing film in North America, not accounting for inflation. His top film is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ($126 million). Through Sunday, its 10th day in release, Gone Girl’s total will hover around $77 million.

From 20th Century Fox and New Regency, Gone Girl grossed $8.2 Friday from 3,824 theaters, while Universal and Legendary Pictures’ origins movie Dracula Untold grossed $8.9 million from 2,885 locations for a projected $22 million to $24 million weekend.

Read more ‘Dracula Untold’ Stars Fete Their Historically Based Vampire Tale Without “Forbidden Love”

Costing $70 million to make but lacking any big names, Dracula Untold, part of Universal’s campaign to revitalize its monster universe, chronicles the transformation of Vlad the Impaler (Luke Evans) into the world’s most notorious vampire. Gary Shore makes his feature directorial debut on the pic produced by Michael De Luca.

Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day placed No. 3 Friday with an estimated $5.2 million from 3,088 theaters for an $18 million-plus weekend.

Very Bad Day, playing in 3,088 locations, is the weekend’s only new family offering. The $28 million Disney title, based on Judith Viorst‘s 1972 children’s book about a family suffering through a horrible day, stars Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and Ed Oxenbould. Disney produced the movie with 21 Laps and The Jim Henson Company.

Gone Girl is likely making life tough for new courtroom dramedy The Judge, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, since both are going after adults. The $50 million movie is looking at a tepid $13 million to $14 million weekend, putting it at No. 5 behind horror holdover Annabelle. The film took in $4.4 million Friday from 3,033 theaters.

The Judge, like Dracula Untold and Very Bad Day, did earn an A- CinemaScore.

Read more Robert Downey Jr. on What He Loves About His ‘The Judge’ Role

Downey has plenty riding on the movie, the first title from Team Downey, the production company he runs with his wife, Susan. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures made the $50 million pic, which also stars Vera Farmiga. Downey, known the world over for his blockbuster Iron Man franchise, has tirelessly campaigned for The Judge.

Addicted, a thriller targeting African-American audiences, also rolls out, although in fewer theaters. Lionsgate and Codeblack partnered on Addicted, about a successful businesswoman (Sharon Leal) who embarks on a series of affairs. The film, earning $3 million on Friday, is on pace to earn an estimated $8 million for the weekend from 846 locations.

Among more limited offerings, documentary Mormon documentary Meeting the Mormons is doing impressive business, and could come in No. 10 with an estimated $3.8 million from 317 theaters. That puts it well ahead of Kill the Messenger, the Jeremy Renner action drama which is opening in roughly the same number of locations. Kill the Messenger is looking at a $1 million weekend from 374 locations.

In New York and Los Angeles, specialty offerings St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, and Whiplash, are each off to solid starts.

Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m. Updated with further Friday projections.

Oct. 11 8:09 a.m. Updated with Friday numbers and weekend projections.