'Resident Evil' storms the box office

LOS ANGELES - Paul Thomas Anderson's cult drama "The Master" commanded a huge following in its opening weekend, smashing records on just a few screens.

The Weinstein Co. release made $729,745 in New York and Los Angeles for a record-setting per-screen average of $145,949, according to Sunday studio estimates. The hugely anticipated film, which just won several of the top awards at the Venice Film Festival and will open in more cities in upcoming weeks, stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic cult leader and Joaquin Phoenix as his wayward protegé.

The No. 1 film at the box office was "Resident Evil: Retribution," which took in an estimated $21.1 million in its debut. This is the fifth film in the Sony Screen Gems action franchise, starring Milla Jovovich.

It features the actress once again as the warrior Alice, the last hope for the human race as an evil corporation unleashes a deadly virus that creates more flesh-eating undead on a worldwide scale.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday, according to Hollywood.com:

1. "Resident Evil: Retribution," $21.1 million

2. "Finding Nemo," $17.5 million.

4. "Lawless," $4.2 million.

5. "ParaNorman," $3 million.

6. "The Expendables 2," $3 million.

7. "The Words," $2.88 million.

8. "The Bourne Legacy," $2.875 million.

10. "The Campaign," $2.4 million.