Old-school horror film The Conjuring 2 was the top movie at cinemas in America this weekend.

The spooky film – which stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson – raked in an estimated $40.4 million (£28.3 million), a strong result that broke the recent sequels slump at the box office.

The big budget video game adaptation Warcraft came in second with $24.4 million (£17.1 million), according to studio estimates on Sunday.

That was a more middling debut, but the film, taken from the World Of Warcraft video game franchise, has been a lucrative hit in overseas markets, particularly China.

The magician heist film Now You See Me 2 opened with $23 million (£16.1 million) in third place, a drop from the original’s $29.4 million (£20.6 million) debut in 2013.

Last week’s top film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, slid to fourth with $14.8 million (£10.3 million).

The crime-busting reptiles are top of the US box officeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount)