NEW YORK, USA —- The Anthony Hopkins horror film The Rite topped the box office on a weekend notable for the bump many Oscar-nominated films received, according to studio estimates.

The Warner Bros flick earned $15 million from just under 3,000 theatres. The PG-13, Exorcist-influenced movie drew most of its audience from the older-than-25 demographic.

In its 10th week of release, the Weinstein Company’s The King’s Speech earned $11.1 million while adding nearly 900 screens.

Now with a cumulative box-office haul of $72.2 million, the story of King George VI’s triumph over his stuttering affliction continues to build momentum as the Oscar favorite for best picture. It led with 12 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, and its director, Tom Hooper, won best director from the Directors Guild on Saturday.

Last week’s top film, the Natalie Portman romantic comedy No Strings Attached, from Paramount, slipped to second with $13.7 million.

The other debut this weekend, CBS Films’ action film The Mechanic, which stars Jason Statham and Ben Foster, took in $11.5 million, tied for third with Sony’s updated superhero film The Green Hornet.

Heavily marketed, The Rite sought a PG-13 rating less to attract younger audience members than “not to offend” older fans of the 73-year-old Hopkins, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

Fellman credited the film’s success to Hopkins, who remains a draw for moviegoers, especially in scary films that recall his famous performance as Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs.

The King’s Speech saw the biggest increase after Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday, jumping 41 per cent from its performance last weekend.