LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — North American moviegoers feasted on Warner Bros’ vampire thriller “Sinners” as it debuted to an estimated US$45.6 million over the Easter holiday weekend, analysts said Sunday.

The first original film from Ryan Coogler — director of Oscar-nominated “Black Panther” — has Michael B Jordan playing twins who encounter a sinister force as they return home to Jim Crow-era Mississippi. Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo also star in the music-driven thriller.

Riding on “near-perfect reviews”, according to the Hollywood Reporter, “Sinners” outperformed another Warner Bros blockbuster, “A Minecraft Movie”, which kept up its solid run with US$41.3 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

“Minecraft”, co-produced by Legendary Pictures, has recorded US$344.6 million in domestic ticket sales and US$376.2 million internationally for a total haul of US$720.8 million in just three weeks out. Analysts say it could be the year’s first billion-dollar blockbuster.

Starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, “Minecraft” already ranks as the all-time most successful film adaptation from a video game.

“The King of Kings”, an animated telling of Jesus’s life from indie media company Angel Studios, did well over Easter weekend, scoring an estimated US$17.3 million in ticket sales.

Oscar Isaac, as Jesus, leads the voice cast, along with Kenneth Branagh, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman and Mark Hamill.

20th Century thriller “The Amateur” slipped one spot to fourth place, taking in US$7.2 million. Rami Malek plays a nerdy CIA analyst who turns vicious as he tracks down his wife’s killers. Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Bernthal also star.

And in fifth place, also down one spot from last weekend, was A24’s “Warfare” at US$4.9 million. Based partly on the experiences of co-director Ray Mendoza as a navy SEAL, the film follows a platoon of soldiers moving amid high tension through hostile territory.