´Kingsman´ narrowly edges out freaky ´It´ at weekend box office

WASHINGTON: Espionage comedy "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" snuck away with the weekend box office crown for the second week running, industry figures showed Monday, narrowly edging out freaky horror sensation "It."

With takings of $16.93 million, "Kingsman" sees a British spy organization join forces with its American counterpart to take on a new global threat.

But despite a star-studded cast featuring Colin Firth, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry and even Elton John, it took less than half of last week´s $39 million earnings.

Meanwhile, "It" -- starring Bill Skarsgard as a creepy clown who terrorizes a sleepy Maine town -- was a close second with earnings of $16.9 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

That is some $12.8 million less than last week´s $29.7 million takings -- but having stormed the box office over the last month, "It" is highest-grossing horror movie of all time with colossal total earnings of $291.1 million.

Slipping into third place in the tight race for number one was Universal´s newly released "American Made," which raked in $16.7 million.

Starring Tom Cruise, "American Made" tells the story of a commercial airline pilot recruited to carry out reconnaissance missions over South America for the CIA.

Sitting comfortably in fourth place, having rung up $11.6 million, was animation "The Lego Ninjago Movie" -- the third installment of Warner Bros.´ "The Lego Movie" franchise.

Sony´s remake of horror film "Flatliners" did just that in its first week in theaters, earning an anti-climactic $6.5 million.
Originally released in 1990, "Flatliners" follows five medical students who try to find out if there is life after death by conducting experiments that cause near-death experiences.