'Brave' ousts 'Madagascar' from top of box office

LOS ANGELES, United States of America - "Brave," Pixar's 3-D fairytale about a Scottish princess trying to rescue her mother from an evil witch, kept audiences spellbound Sunday, June 24, as it soared to the top of the North American box office in its opening week.

With $66.7 million in ticket sales, according to industry estimates, it easily knocked another animated hit, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," which had only $20.2 million in sales, into second place.

Movie tracker Exhibitor Relations said "Brave" was the 13th film from the Walt Disney Studios' animation unit to open at the top of the box office.

In third was the debut of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," a slasher flick casting America's 16th president as a crusader not just against slavery, but blood-sucking monsters as well. It earned $16.5 million.

Ridley Scott's sci-fi adventure "Prometheus" came in in fourth place with $10 million in ticket sales.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" starring Charlize Theron, was fifth with a little over $8 million, the box office tracker said.

Warner Brothers' "Rock of Ages" starring Tom Cruise, nabbed sixth place, pocketing $8 million dollars.

The critically-panned Adam Sandler comedy "That's My Boy," took seventh place, with about $7.9 million in tickets sold.

Eighth went to comic book superhero blockbuster "The Avengers," which earned $7.0 million, for a total of $598 million since its release.

"Men in Black 3," the reunion of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as secret agents battling aliens living on Earth in the sci-fi comedy sequel, earned $5.6 million for ninth place.

The 10th spot went to another debut, "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," a romantic comedy starring Keira Knightley, which was expected to earn $3.8 million. - Agence France-Presse

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