The box office has “Afterlife”

I’m not sure if the same goes for human existence, but in Hollywood, you can usually bet on the “afterlife.” The fourth film in the Resident Evil series earned just what it expected, proving that some fan bases never die. At the same time, 3D did not boost ticket sales significantly: “Afterlife” made only $3 million more than “Resident Evil: Extinction.”

Elsewhere, it was a weak weekend. The end-of-summer heist flick that just won’t go away (“Takers”) managed to hop over both of last week’s releases, though you’ll notice it only beat “The American” by around $1,000, which as to be the closest finish I’ve ever seen between two films.

1. Resident Evil: Afterlife – $26.2 M … $26.6 M
2. Takers – $5.675 M … $47.6 M
3. The American – $5.674 M … $28.1 M
4. Machete – $4.2 M … $20.9 M
5. Going the Distance – $3.7 M … $13.9 M
6. The Other Guys – $3.34 M … $112.4 M
7. The Last Exorcism – $3.32 M … $38 M
8. The Expendables – $3.2 M  … $98.4 M
9. Eat Pray Love – $2.9 M … $74.6 M
10. Inception – $2.8 M … $282.2 M

Considering the split public opinion on the more artsy “American,” it’s not surprising the film fell more than 50 percent from last weekend. Considering the genre, it’s also not surprising that “Machete” dropped a similar amount. In a busier week, these films would not be enjoying the top five for a second straight week.

Of the remaining summer films, “The Other Guys” has held up the strongest (aside from “Inception,” of course). The Will Ferrell comedy has earned $112 million, good for the second highest live-action comedy behind “Grown Ups” and 15th on the list of top films in 2010 thus far.