George Clooney assassin film slays box office rivals

The American is directed by Dutch photographer turned film-maker Anton Corbijn

George Clooney's The American was top film at the North American box office over a lacklustre Labour Day weekend.

The film, in which the US star plays an assassin hiding out in Europe, made $13m (£8.4m) between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

That was enough to knock crime thriller Takers, last week's number one movie, down to second place.

But its chart-topping performance did not stop the summer movie going season ending on a traditionally weak note.

Takers' second weekend takings of $11.5m (£7.5m) put it just ahead of Machete, which opened in third place with an $11.3m (£7.4m) haul.

Starring Danny Trejo, the violent action thriller was inspired by a spoof trailer that appeared in the 2007 feature Grindhouse.

The top five was completed by horror film The Last Exorcism and romantic comedy Going the Distance.

The latter, which stars Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as a couple attempting a long distance relationship, made its debut at five with a $6.9m (£4.5m) three-day tally.

Toy Story 3 was the biggest earner of the summer, taking $408m (£265.7m) in the US and Canada since its release in June.