LOS ANGELES ? Disney's groundbreaking "The Princess and the Frog," which features the hit-making studio's first African-American animated heroine, topped the weekend North American box office, according to industry estimates Sunday.

The fairytale set in 1920s New Orleans tells the story of a hardworking waitress who tries to help a frog become a prince again with a kiss, but in the process is herself transformed into a frog, before the story arrives at its happily-ever-after conclusion.

It earned an estimated $25 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

In second place was "The Blind Side," a drama about a white couple who give an illiterate black teen a home and a new lease on life, with $15.5 million in its fourth week of release.

In third place, with $9 million in ticket sales, was the debut of "Invictus" starring veteran actor Morgan Freeman in the role of Nelson Mandela, in the Hollywood movie about how the then-president of South Africa challenged the country's rugby team to win the 1995 World Cup.

Fourth place went to "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," the vampire romance sequel adapted from Stephenie Meyer's phenomenally successful books, with $8 million.

"Disney's A Christmas Carol," claimed fifth place with earnings of $6.9 million.

Sixth place went to "Brothers," a melodrama starring "Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire about the impact of the Afghanistan war on a conflicted US family, which earned $5 million in its second week of release.

Seventh place was taken by the special effects-laden, apocalyptic "2012," which earned $4.4 million in its fifth week.

"Old Dogs," a Disney film starring John Travolta and Robin Williams, earned just shy of $4.4 million for eighth place.

Ninth place went to "Armored," about security guards who pull off a heist of their own armored truck, with $3.5 million in receipts.

Martial arts extravaganza "Ninja Assassin" took the tenth spot with $2.7 million.