"No Good Deed", the thriller starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, has topped the weekend box office, toppling over "Guardians of the Galaxy".

The movie surpassed expectations, raking in US$24.5 million from 2,175 theaters. Analysts had predicted that the Sony/Screen Gems movie would be earning only around US$20 million.

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Most of the moviegoers were women, taking up 60 percent of the seats, with 41 percent of ticket-buyers being under the age of 30.

After months of dismal theater profits, the new movie seems to be an encouraging development for the movie industry. "It's not a full reversal of the weakness at the box office, but it's a step in the right direction. It's good to see new films enter the marketplace and do all right," shared Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.

Elba and Henson, whose onscreen chemistry was the main reason for the movie's success, were actively promoting the flick on social media. Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures' president of worldwide distribution, acknowledged the duo's hard work and collaboration, adding that the movie will be "hugely successful for the studio".

The movie only took US$13 million to produce.

"No Good Deeds", although it catered to a different demographic, managed to surpass the earnings of "Dolphin Tale 2", which only earned US$16.5 million across 3,656 theaters.

The first installment of the movie earned more when it debuted in 2011, earning US$9.2 million. The said film, which starred Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman and Kris Kristofferson, eventually earned US$72.3 million during its run in theaters across the United States.

Many suspect that earnings from the first installment was much higher at the start because it was offered in 3D, which aided in goosing up admission prices. "Dolphin Tale 2" was only released in 2D.

Audiences for the movie was made up of 63 percent female and, 44 percent under the age of 25.

TagsNo Good Deed, movie