13 June 2011 Last updated at 07:03 ET

Super 8 movie tops US box office

Super 8 had its premiere in Los Angeles last week

Sci-fi mystery Super 8 has claimed pole position at the US and Canada box office from X-Men prequel First Class.

JJ Abrams' movie, about teenage film-makers who inadvertently record footage of an alien entity, took an estimated $37m (£23.3m) in its first three days on release in North America.

Its box office performance exceeded some expectations, although overall takings were down on recent weekends.

Steven Spielberg produced the film, which opens in the UK on 5 August.

The movie had "sneak peak" previews on Thursday that added a further $1m (£614,100) to its opening weekend haul.

Super 8's child stars, 1970s setting and extra-terrestrial themes have seen it compared to Spielberg's early work.

Abrams, the creator of TV shows Alias and Lost, topped the US and UK box office charts in 2009 with his hugely popular Star Trek sequel.

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE

• 1. Super 8 - $37m
• 2. X-Men: First Class - $25m
• 3. The Hangover Part II - $18.5m
• 4. Kung Fu Panda 2 - $16.6m
• 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - $10.8m

Source: Hollywood.com

After heading the countdown last week, comic book prequel X-Men: First Class slipped down a place with second weekend takings of $25m (£15.3m).

Raucous comedy sequel The Hangover Part II was ranked third, having raked in an estimated $18.5m (£11.3m) between Friday and Sunday.

Kung Fu Panda 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides complete a top five largely dominated by follow-ups to pre-existing franchises.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, a family film about a young girl's summer adventures, was the only other new entry in this week's Top 10.

Its underwhelming first weekend takings of $6.3m (£3.8m) saw it ranked in seventh place, one below wedding-based comedy Bridesmaids.