DHAKA: Actor Vin Diesel has shot to the top of the US box office with ‘Riddick’, his third outing as the titular convict turned anti-hero.

The movie made $18.7m in its opening weekend, vindicating the star, who wrested control of the character from movie studio Universal.

‘The Butler’, starring Forest Whitaker as a White House staff member who serves eight presidents, took second place.

One Direction’s documentary ‘This Is Us’ dropped to number six.

The pop group’s 3D film saw its takings tumble from $15.8m to $4.1m in its second week of release, but has already recouped its modest $10m budget several times over.

It was originally thought to have topped the US box office last weekend, but final figures overturned early estimates, placing ‘The Butler’ back at number one.

It meant that the civil rights drama was the first film of 2013 to spend three weeks at the top of the chart.

‘Riddick’ was the only new release last week, but it gave a boost to a traditionally sluggish September box office.

‘Typically, the weekend after Labor Day is one of the slowest weekends of the year,’ said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for Hollywood.com, reports the BBC.

Top Five

1) Riddick - $18.7m
2) The Butler - $8.9m
3) Instructions Not Included - $8.1m
4) We’re The Millers - $7.9m (pictured)
5) Planes - $4.3m

BDST: 1932 HRS, SEPT 09, 2013
RoR/Jck