Brad Pitt stars in Joel and Ethan Coen's dark spy-comedy Burn After Reading. - contributed

los angeles (ap)

Joel and Ethan Coen scored their biggest opener to date by raking in $19.4 million in ticket sales for Burn After Reading and helping end a seven-week attendance slide at theatres, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The madcap comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich raked in $7 million more than the writing-directing duo's last box-office hit, the 2004 comedy The Ladykillers, according to box office tracker Media by Numbers.

Burn After Reading's success comes just a year after the brothers gained widespread acclaim for the drama No Country for Old Men, which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and grossed US$73.3 million.

"Their Oscar credentials and the star-studded cast combined to make Burn After Reading a hit," said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features.

The weekend's three other new releases also turned in solid performances.

Writer-director Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, starring Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in a drama about two families from different social classes, debuted at No. 2 with $18 million. "Five out of six of Perry's films have opened at No. 1 or No. 2" said Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate.

Overture Film's Righteous Kill opened at No. 3 with US$16.5 million, proving that A-list stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino still draw fans. "The movie played to a wide range of ages and both genders," said Kyle Davies, Overture's executive vice president of theatrical distribution.

"The primary appeal is to see these two legends together," he said.

Picturehouse's The Women, starring Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in a remake of George Cukor's 1939 comedy-drama, was No. 4 with $10.1 million.

The next seven films in the top dozen were holdovers, grossing $4.3 million or less.

Last weekend's top-ranked Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicolas Cage dropped to eighth place with $2.4 million.

1. Burn After Reading, US $19.4 million.

2. Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys, US$18.0 million.

3. Righteous Kill, US$16.5

million.

4. The Women, US$10.1 million.

5. The House Bunny,US $4.3 million.

6. Tropic Thunder, US$4.2

million.

7. The Dark Knight, US$4.0

million.

8. Bangkok Dangerous, US$2.4 million.

9. Traitor, US$2.1 million.

10. Death Race,US$2.0 million.

11. Babylon A.D., US$1.7 million.

12. Mamma Mia!, US$1.7 million.