‘Gone Girl’ surfaces at top North American box office

In this image released by 20th Century Fox, Ben Affleck, left, and Rosamund Pike appear in a scene from “Gone Girl.” The film, based on the best-selling novel, releases Friday, Oct. 3, 2014. AP

LOS ANGELES – “Gone Girl” surfaced at the top of the North American box office in its debut weekend in theaters, earning $38 million, according to industry estimates Sunday.

The mystery-drama starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry, is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Gillian Flynn about a husband who becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife.

Debuting close behind in second place, with $37.2 million, was horror flick “Annabelle” about a supernatural doll.

Meanwhile action-thriller “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington dropped from first into third place with $19 million.

And “The Boxtrolls,” an animated film about an orphaned boy raised underground by friendly monsters, slid to fourth place with $12.4 million.

In fifth was “The Maze Runner,” based on James Dashner’s best-selling 2007 young-adult dystopian novel of the same name, taking in $12 million.

“Left Behind,” starring Nicolas Cage, debuted in sixth place with $6.9 million, and was adapted from the book series of the same name.

The story, loosely based on the Bible’s interpretation of end times, centers on a group of people who survive after most of the world’s population is wiped out.

Comedy-drama “This Is Where I Leave You” earned $4 million in ticket sales, coming in seventh place.

In eighth place was “Dolphin Tale 2,” a family-friendly sequel starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, which earned $3.5 million.

The summer season’s most successful blockbuster, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” slid to ninth place, adding another $3 million to its 10-week haul, which now stands at $323 million.

Rounding out the top ten was thriller “No Good Deed,” about a devoted wife and mother who helps out a

charming but dangerous escaped convict played by Idris Elba, with $2.5 million