LOS ANGELES — Movie beasts from old-time Hollywood got a makeover as heroes conquered the weekend box office.
DreamWorks Animation’s action comedy “Monsters vs. Aliens,” which features creatures from 1950s flicks in a showdown with invading extraterrestrials, launched itself into the No. 1 spot with a $58.2 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was the biggest debut so far in 2009.
“Monsters vs. Aliens” was the latest success story for digital 3-D projection. While the 2,080 3-D screens accounted for just 28 percent of the roughly 7,300 on which the movie played, they made up 56 percent of its total box-office haul, according to DreamWorks Animation.
Opening in second place was Lionsgate’s ghost story “The Haunting in Connecticut,” with $23 million in ticket sales. The Associated Press
