"Gone Girl" won the box office this past weekend, beating out newcomers "The Judge," "Dracula Untold" and "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

The David Fincher thriller, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, was down 28 percent and made an estimated $26.8 million. The film has accumulated $78 million in two weeks and is likely to reach the $100 million next weekend. The film has strong word-of-mouth and great reviews and is also generating Oscar buzz. At the moment it is also ahead of Fincher's previous works and if "Gone Girl" continues strong it could top Fincher's highest grosser, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." That movie made $127 million back in 2008.

In second place, "Dracula Untold" exceeded expectations and made $23 million. The Universal release was expected to open with $19 million but had strong word-of-mouth and a devoted following. Additionally, the science fiction and romance elements allowed it to reach a stronger audience. Reviews were negative but that did not harm the release.

In third place, Disney's "Alexander" also played above expectations and made $19 million. The comedy starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner was slated to debut with $16 million. However, it seemed like the lack of family films and the decent reviews helped elevate the buzz. Disney hopes that it will continue to play to strong word-of-mouth throughout the theatrical run.

"Annabelle" was off 55 percent from last weekend and made $16.3 million in its second weekend. The drop is not shocking as horror films are always front loaded. Still, Warner Bros has made $62 million on the $6 million budgeted horror flick.

In fifth place, "The Judge" flopped in its debut, making $13.3 million. Warner Bros. hoped that Robert Downey Jr.'s A-list status as an actor would sell the movie. However, reviews were mixed and the awards buzz quickly dissipated after having premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. "The Judge" cost $50 million to produce and it is unlikely to make back its budget, especially with a lot of competition coming out in the next few weeks.

Denzel Washington inched closer to the $100 million mark as "The Equalizer" grossed another $9.7 million. To date it has made $79 million and word-of-mouth continues strong.

The William Levy starrer "Addicted" surprised making $7.6 million in 846 theaters. Pundits suggested that it would make $3 million in its opening. The film was targeted for African Americans and like "No Good Deed," "Addicted" delivered.

"The Maze Runner" continued its success and grossed another $7.5 million. It has now made $8.3 million in four weeks and will likely close at $100 million.

In art house theaters, Focus features debuted "Kill the Messenger" in 374 theaters. The result was disappointing as it only made $939,000. The film received little marketing and did not open in festival, where it was expected to garner awards attention. Sadly, the good reviews did not generate enough buzz.

Sony Pictures Classics debuted "Whiplash" to $144,000 in six theaters. That was equivalent to $24,000 per theater average. The successful opening was due in part to the awards and festival buzz it obtained. Sony also marketed it strongly and emphasized Miles Teller, who is rapidly becoming an A-list star.

The Weinstein Company had mixed results. "St. Vincent" opened to $121,000 in four theaters, making it one of the best openings of the year. The total was equivalent to $30,250 per theater average. The strong debut was due in part to Bill Murray's appeal and the fact that it is a comedy, which is lacking at the moment at the box office.

The company's release of "One Chance" flopped. The movie opened in 43 theaters and made $32,000. "One Chance" has been delayed for over a year and was shown on Yahoo Screen prior to its release for free. Additionally, the Weinstein Company did not really give the film a proper marketing campaign.

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