‘The Woman King’ takes North American box office throne

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

The Viola Davis-led action epic “The Woman King” easily conquered the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters, against a crowded market of new releases. The film is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. It surpassed expectations and earned $19 million in ticket sales, according to estimates from Sony on Sunday. The horror movie “Barbarian,” a 20th Century Studios release, took second place in its second weekend with $6.3 million. It was a jam-packed week for new releases at the domestic box office, including “Pearl,” “See How They Run” and “Moonage Daydream,” but still somewhat slow for the overall business.