The Anthony Hopkins horror film “The Rite” beat the devil out of its competitors to top the box office on a weekend notable for the bump many Oscar-nominated films received, according to studio estimates yesterday.

The Warner Bros. flick earned $15 million. Last week’s top film, the Natalie Portman romantic comedy “No Strings Attached,” from Paramount, slipped to second, with $13.7 million.

The other big debut this weekend, CBS Films’ action film “The Mechanic,” towed in an $11.5 million haul, tied for third with “The Green Hornet.”

“The King’s Speech” rode its Oscar-leading 12 nominations to fourth place, with $11.1 million.