LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Universal and Blumhouse's horror film "The Exorcist: Believer" led ticket sales at the North American box office with an estimated cume of 27.2 million U.S. dollars, showed figures from data firm Comscore on Sunday.

The film is a direct sequel to 1973's "The Exorcist" and the sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise. Directed by David Gordon Green, the film stars Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Leslie Odom Jr. alongside Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, and Ellen Burstyn.

The film has received a low approval rating of only 23 percent based on 182 reviews to date on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. It earned a "C" on an "A+" to "F" scale from audiences polled by the market research firm CinemaScore.

"The Exorcist: Believer" also opened in its first 52 international markets this weekend, taking in 17.9 million dollars for a global debut of 45.1 million dollars.

Paramount's animated family film "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie" came in second on its second weekend with 11.75 million dollars, pushing its North American total to 38.9 million dollars through Sunday.

Lionsgate's R-rated horror sequel "Saw X" finished third on its second weekend with 8.15 million dollars for a North American total of 32.55 million dollars.