NEW YORK — The suspense thriller “The Purge” topped the weekend box office with a shocking $36.4 million. Audiences starved for a horror option flocked to the micro-budget Universal film starring Ethan Hawke. The film’s strong opening performance minted another box-office hit for “Paranormal Activity” producer Jason Blum.

“The Purge” was made for relative peanuts — just $3 million — making it an extremely lucrative release. The studio had expected it to open in the high teens.

“Never did we expect it to open at this level,” said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. Estimated sales were:

1. “The Purge,” $36.4 million

2. “Fast & Furious 6,” $19.8 million

3. “Now You See Me,” $19.5 million

4. “The Internship,” $18.1 million

5. “Epic,” $12.1 million

6. “Star Trek Into Darkness,” $11.7 million

7. “After Earth,” $11.2 million

8. “The Hangover Part III,” $7.4 million

9. “Iron Man 3,” $5.8 million

10. “The Great Gatsby,” $4.2 million

By The Associated Press