The movie, which Affleck both directed and stars in, earned an estimated $23.8 million during its first three days, distributor Warner Bros. said. It had been expected to open in the $15 million to $20 million range. New high school comedy "Easy A" had to be content with second place and a solid $18.2 million start.
Also new were the diabolical horror "Devil" at No. 3 with a disappointing $12.6 million and the low-budget 3D cartoon "Alpha and Omega" at No. 5 with $9.2 million, which was in line with modest expectations. Last weekend's champion, the zombie sequel "Resident Evil: Afterlife," dropped to No. 4 with $10.1 million; its 10-day total stands at $44 million. The film remained No. 1 at the international box office with a 10-day total of $103 million.
"The Town" marks Affleck's directing follow-up to 2007's "Gone Baby Gone," another crime drama set in his Boston hometown, although he did not appear in that one. He plays the brains among a gang of robbers, who complicates things by falling for a bank teller caught up in one of their heists.
