It was a tense fight, but this weekend’s box office goes to the Vin Diesel sci-fi action Riddick, meaning Lee Daniels’ The Butler has finished its three-week run. Riddick made $18.7 making it the first weekend box office winner of Hollywood’s fall season (estimates according to Hollywood.com). The Butler made around $8.9million and was closely followed in the box office chart by Instructions Not Included, We’re The Millers and Planes.

Watch the Riddick trailer below.

As predicted by industry insiders, the weekend saw a noticeable dip from summer averages. This summer saw record breaking figures, to finally close at a whopping $4.7 billion. Riddick, which has been getting generally positive reviews (though few fail to point out the film’s rampant misogyny) has so far received a solid 59% approval rate from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – better than your average Vin Diesel flick – while it’s fan approval is at 69%. It’s been nearly a decade since Vin Diesel last donned the over-the-top persona of the appropriately named Riddick, but it’s safe to say that in that time the actor’s star has risen high enough for the movie to do relatively well thanks to Diesel’s name alone. As The Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers puts it, “the money is clearly with Diesel in badass mode and speaking in a voice that sounds like he gargles with gravel.”

Vin Diesel, Riddick Premiere
Vin Diesel at the Riddick premiere.

Check out more pictures from the premiere here.

According to USA Today, analysts are predicting that the $38 million movie will turn a profit by the end of the month. While it opened at a mostly dead end time of year for cinema – with high school and college kids getting back to school and football season kicking off – it looks like Riddick is setting a (moderately) good start to the fall season.

Vin Diesel, Riddick Premiere
Riddick managed to bump The Butler, thanks to Diesel's star power.