In the battle of the box office assassins, A-lister George Clooney barely mustered more firepower with his new chart-topper “The American” than the relatively unknown star of ” Machete,” as the summer moviegoing season wrapped feebly during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

“The American,” in which Clooney plays a laconic gunslinger holed up in a picturesque Italian village, earned $16.4 million across the United States and Canada during the four days beginning September 3, distributor Focus Features said on Monday.

“Machete,” a violent fantasy starring character actor Danny Trejo as a Mexican hitman with a penchant for sharp objects, came in at No. 2 with $14.0 million, said 20th Century Fox.

Both studios said they were happy with the openings, which exceeded modest expectations, even if the movies are not destined for box office greatness. Clooney’s movies, for example, usually end up in the $30 million to $40 million range, and Focus doubted the new one would buck that trend.

The top 10 boasted one other newcomer, the optimistically titled Drew Barrymore romantic comedy “Going the Distance,” which stalled at the outset. It came in at No. 5 with a disappointing $8.6 million, said Warner Bros. Pictures.

Both “Machete” and “Going the Distance” opened on Friday, while “The American” got a two-day head start and has earned $19.5 million to date.

Source: Reuters.com