LOS ANGELES??Monsters vs. Aliens" and "The Haunting in Connecticut," scared up huge earnings at the North American box office in their premiere weekend.

The animated romp "Monsters," with the voice of Reese Witherspoon, packed theatres in the United States and Canada, earning a staggering $58.2 million on its debut and netting 42 percent of earnings of the top 12 films.

It was trailed by "Haunting," a dark family story with an exorcism for good measure, which made a big $23 million, and last week's leader "Knowing."

"Knowing," the sci-fi action thriller starring Nicolas Cage, took in $14.7 million for the Friday through Sunday period.

Buddy comedy "I Love You, Man" with Paul Rudd joking his way through love of fellow man, earned $12.6 million. It was trailed distantly by "Duplicity," the Julia Roberts-Clive Owen spy romp with $7.5 million.

Following the top five were "Race to Witch Mountain," the Disney adventure, which took in $5.6 million; kidnapping action flick "12 Rounds" with $5.3 million; and "Watchmen."

It follows the lives of superheroes in an alternate 1985 America in director Zack Snyder's faithful adaptation of Allan Moore's classic graphic novel, and took in $2.75 million.

The thriller "Taken" brought in $2.7 million, and "The Last House on the Left," a remake of a 1972 Wes Craven horror flick, rounded out the top 10 with $2.6 million.