'Cowboys' Ties 'Smurfs' At The Box Office

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It was gunfighters and extraterrestrials versus Smurfs battling for moviegoers at multiplexes over the weekend.

Who finished first at the box office?  Both.

The children's comedy, The Smurfs, earned an estimated $36-million on its initial weekend, gaining it a virtual tie with the also-debuting Cowboys & Aliens, the science fiction western starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.

That dropped last weekend's leader, Captain America: The First Avenger, into third place.  It took in $25-million.

Fourth place went to the holdover hit, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 with $22-million, while the new ensemble comedy, Crazy, Stupid, Love., starring Steve Carell, totaled $10-million, good for fifth place.

Overall, industry totals were well ahead of those on the counterpart weekend last year.

Reported by Bill Wine, KYW Newsradio 1060