The Girl on the Train stops in the number 1 spot at the box office

New York — Propelled by the popularity of Paula Hawkins' best-seller, the adaptation of The Girl on the Train led North American theatres in ticket sales with $24.7m, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Less successful was Nate Parker's Nat Turner biopic The Birth of a Nation, which opened with a disappointing $7.1m.

The Girl on the Train, a psychological thriller starring Emily Blunt, appealed significantly to female moviegoers, who made up 68% of the audience. The film is about an alcoholic suburbanite woman who becomes embroiled in a mysterious disappearance.

The Birth of a Nation fetched a record $17.5m at its Sundance Film Festival premiere. 

But a resurfaced rape allegation against director and star Parker overshadowed the film's release. Parker, who has maintained his innocence, was acquitted in 2001.