LOS ANGELES - Movie beasts from old-time Hollywood have gotten a makeover as box-office heroes.

The animated action comedy "Monsters vs. Aliens" has launched itself into the No. 1 spot with a $58.2 million debut weekend.

The movie features creatures from 1950s flicks in a showdown with invading extraterrestrials.

Opening in second-place is the ghost story " The Haunting in Connecticut " with $23 million in ticket sales.

At No. 3 is the apocalyptic action tale "Knowing" with $14.7 million, slipping from its first-place debut a week earlier. "Knowing" raises its 10-day total to $46.2 million.

Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.)
This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative
Gross Rlse
Wks # of
Theaters
1 - Monsters vs. Aliens Paramount Pictures $58,200,000 $58,200,000 1 4104
2 - The Haunting in Connecticut Lionsgate $23,010,000 $23,010,000 1 2732
3 1 Knowing Summit Entertainment, LLC $14,705,000 $46,220,000 2 3337
4 2 I Love You, Man Paramount Pictures $12,600,000 $37,007,000 2 2717
5 3 Duplicity Universal Pictures $7,556,000 $25,639,000 2 2579
6 4 Race to Witch Mountain Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $5,637,000 $53,295,000 3 3268
7 - 12 Rounds 20th Century Fox Distribution $5,300,000 $5,300,000 1 2331
8 5 Watchmen Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $2,755,000 $103,296,000 4 2010
9 7 Taken 20th Century Fox Distribution $2,700,000 $137,074,000 9 1961
10 6 The Last House on the Left Rogue Pictures $2,611,000 $28,459,000 3 2251
11 16 Sunshine Cleaning Overture Films $1,344,000 $2,548,000 3 167
12 8 Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight Pictures $1,135,000 $139,312,000 20 840