Vampire thriller “30 Days of Night” debuted at No. 1 in this weekend’s North American box office chart, selling tickets worth an estimated $16 million.

Sony’s horror film “30 Days of Night,” directed by David Slade (“Hard Candy”) and starring Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, opened surprisingly well, with a 3-day gross of $16 million, reports the Los Angeles Times. The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name.

“Gone Baby Gone,” Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, a crime thriller starring Casey Affleck, sold tickets worth an estimated $6 million, opening at No. 5 on the box office chart. The critically acclaimed film tells the story of the search for a missing 4-year-old. The cast includes Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman.

Another weekend debut was sports spoof “The Comebacks” opened at No. 6, with ticket sales worth $5.9 million.

New Line’s “Rendition,” directed by Gavin Hood and starring Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Peter Sarsgaard, opened at No. 8 with an estimated $4.2 million.

Several wide releases, including the Halle Berry starrer “Things We Lost in the Fire” and the thriller “Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour,” failed to enter the top 10, notes the LA Times.

As to movies released at least a week ago, Tyler Perry's “Why Did I Get Married?” earned another $12.1 million in ticket sales, adding up to a total of $38.9 million in its two weeks of availability. The film stars Janet Jackson, her first movie since 2000’s “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.”

The family comedy “The Game Plan” earned another $8.1 million, at No. 3, and the George Clooney legal drama “Michael Clayton” another $7.1 million, at No. 4. “We Own the Night” slid to No. 7, with $5.5 million.

A 3D re-release of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” opened at No. 8 with $5.1 million, while Ben Stiller’s “The Heartbreak Kid” slipped to No. 10, earning $3.9 million more in ticket sales.

These are preliminary results in the U.S. and Canada, based on studio projections:

1. “30 Days of Night,” $16 million

2. “Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?” $12.1 million

3. “The Game Plan,” $8.1 million

4. “Michael Clayton,” $7.1 million

5. “Gone Baby Gone,” $6 million

6. “The Comebacks,” $5.9 million

7. “We Own the Night,” $5.5million

8. “Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - 3D,” $5.1 million

9. “Rendition,” $4.2 million

10. “The Heartbreak Kid,” $3.9 million