Monsters vs. Aliens Dominates Box Office

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens dominated the weekend box office with an estimated $58.2 million from 4,104 theaters for an average of $14,181 per theater. It was the biggest debut so far in 2009, topping the $55.2 million first weekend of Watchmen in early March. The opening also marks the third-biggest ever for the month of March, trailing just 300 ($70.9 million) and Ice Age: The Meltdown ($68 million). The 1,550 3-D screens playing the animated film made up 58% of the entire gross, although those runs made up just 28% of the total theater count. The 143 IMAX theaters showing the movie in 3-D accounted for $5.2 million of the movie's overall gross. The film features the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland and Paul Rudd.

Lionsgate's new horror-thriller The Haunting in Connecticut opened in second place to an impressive $23 million from 2,732 theaters. Directed by Peter Cornwell, the movie stars Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas and Amanda Crew.

Last week's champ, Alex Proyas' sci-fi thriller Knowing, dipped a moderate 40.2% in ticket sales and dropped to third with another $14.7 million, raising the total for the Nicolas Cage-starrer to $46.2 million after two weeks.

The Paul Rudd and Jason Segel comedy I Love You, Man added $12.6 million in fourth and has earned $37 million in two weeks.

Tony Gilroy's Duplicity, starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, rounded out the top five with $7.6 million. The spy comedy has collected $25.6 million in two weeks.

Disney's Race to Witch Mountain, starring Dwayne Johnson, came in at No. 6 with $5.6 million in its third weekend. The film has grossed $53.3 million so far.

20th Century Fox's newcomer 12 Rounds, directed by Renny Harlin and starring John Cena, made $5.3 million in 2,331 theaters, averaging $2,274 per site.