‘Chronicle’ Debuts on Top with $22 Million

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Chronicle wrote itself a surprise box office win over the weekend.

The drama, centered around teens who develop superpowers, opened in first place, earning an estimated $22 million. It finished just ahead of Daniel Radcliffe’s new horror flick The Woman in Black, which earned $21 million.

The previous box office champ, Liam Neeson’s thriller The Grey, fell to the third spot with $9.5 million. Drew Barrymore’s inspirational whale tale Big Miracle premiered in fourth place with $8.5 million.

The Madonna-directed drama W.E. collected $45,000 in just four theaters.

Here are the top 10 movies from Friday through Monday with estimated ticket sales:

1. Chronicle, $22 million
2. The Woman in Black, $21 million
3. The Grey, $9.5 million
4. Big Miracle, $8.5 million
5. Underworld Awakening, $5.6 million
6. One for the Money, $5.3 million
7. Red Tails, $5 million
8. The Descendants, $4.6 million
9. Man on a Ledge, $4.5 million
10. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, $3.9 million

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