“Limitless,” a thriller from Relativity Media LLC about a mind-expanding drug, opened in first place in U.S. and Canadian theaters with sales of $19 million.

“Limitless,” a thriller from Relativity Media LLC about a mind-expanding drug, opened in first place in U.S. and Canadian theaters with sales of $19 million.

“Rango,” the Johnny Depp animated comedy, held at second place with $15.3 million in sales for Viacom Inc. (VIA/B)’s Paramount and Nickelodeon divisions, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said today. “Battle: Los Angeles,” Sony Corp. (6758)’s special- effects thriller about an alien invasion, fell to third from first with sales of $14.6 million and “The Lincoln Lawyer,” from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF), debuted in fourth place with $13.4 million.

Revenue for the top 12 films this weekend fell 8.7 percent to $104.5 million from a year earlier, Hollywood.com said in an e-mailed statement, as new films failed to match the appeal of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” the box- office leaders a year earlier.

Domestic box-office sales this year have fallen 20 percent to $2.02 billion. Attendance is down 21 percent.

“We thought ‘Battle: Los Angeles’ would top the weekend,” Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office division of Hollywood.com, said in a telephone interview. “It’s an action movie appealing to teen males, and they all rushed to see it opening weekend. I thought it would do better.”