• “Barbarian” from 20th Century and New Regency debuted with $10 million.
• Fantasy adventure “Brahmastra: Part One — Shiva” took in $4.4 million for second place.
• Action thriller “Bullet Train” came in third place, down one spot from previous weekend.

“Barbarian,” a new horror picture with a modern twist, has terrified its way to the top of the box office in North America, earning an estimated $10 million on yet another quiet movie weekend, according to industry observer Exhibitor Relations on Sunday.

The film, from 20th Century and New Regency, tells the story of a woman (played by English actress Georgina Campbell) who checks into an AirBnB-style house in a sketchy Detroit neighbourhood only to discover that it has also been booked by Bill Skarsgard – yes, the diabolical clown from the terrifying “It” films. Justin Long also makes an appearance.

“Barbarian” has enjoyed strong reviews, with Variety calling it a “new horror classic.” David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said its debut was “a good opening” for a low-budget horror film.

Another new release, fantasy adventure film “Brahmastra: Part One — Shiva” from Disney subsidiary Star Studios, took in $4.4 million for second place — a surprisingly strong showing for a Hindi-language Bollywood production playing in only 810 theaters.

It follows Shiva, a young man in modern-day India, whose love for Isha is strained by his surprising link to a secret society. This is the first instalment of a trilogy.

Sony’s action thriller “Bullet Train” came in third place, down one spot from the previous weekend, with $3.3 million. Brad Pitt plays a hired assassin on a high-speed Japanese train.

Meanwhile, Paramount’s lasting action film “Top Gun: Maverick,” which debuted in first place in its 15th week, has lost some altitude. It raked in $3.2 million for fourth place, despite approaching the $750 million mark internationally.

Warner Bros.’ family-friendly animation “DC League of Super-Pets” came in fifth, down one spot from the previous weekend, with $2.8 million.

The following people rounded out the top ten: