'Monsters vs. Aliens' delivers monstrous b.o. start

DreamWorks Animation's 3D-animated adventure "Monsters vs. Aliens" stormed the North American box office Friday with an estimated $16.7 million in ticket sales.

Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon, the film follows a group of monsters trying to prevent a ruthless alien leader from destroying humanity. The voice cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett and Hugh Laurie.

Debuting in second place Friday with $9.5 million was Peter Cornwell's "The Haunting in Connecticut." Starring Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner and Amanda Crew, the horror thriller follows a family experiencing supernatural events in their new home.

Last week's winner "Knowing" dropped to No. 3, earning $4.6 million and lifting its cumulative gross to $36.1 million after two weeks in release. Directed by Alex Proyas, the film follows Nicholas Cage as a father trying to prevent a series of global disasters.

Following in fourth place with $3.9 million was "I Love You, Man," which brought its domestic gross to $28.3 million. Meanwhile, Tony Gilroy's comedy "Duplicity" reached a total haul of $20.3 million after Friday's earnings of $2.3 million.

"12 Rounds," this weekend's third wide release, finished sixth with $1.7 million only. WWE star John Cena stars as a New Orleans detective who must complete 12 challenges in order to save his kidnapped girlfriend.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)