'Super 8' topples 'X-Men' at US box office

JJ Abrams's latest science fiction epic Super 8 has topped the US box office in its opening weekend.

The film, which stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler, overtook last week's box-office topper X-Men: First Class by taking $37 million, compared to the Matthew Vaughn prequel's $25 million.

Comedy sequel The Hangover Part II falls to third place with $18.5 million, but officially became the highest-grossing film of 2011 earlier this week.

Animated family film Kung Fu Panda 2 falls one place to fourth taking $16.6 million, while Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides rounds out the top five films with $10.8 million.

Next weekend sees the release of Warner Bros' superhero epic Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong.

This week's US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):

1. (-) Super 8 - $37,000,000
2. (1) X-Men: First Class - $25,000,000
3. (2) The Hangover Part II - $18,500,000
4. (3) Kung Fu Panda 2 - $16,635,000
5. (4) Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides - $10,845,000
6. (5) Bridesmaids - $10,154,000
7. (-) Judy Moody - $6,267,000
8. (8) Midnight in Paris - $6,146,000
9. (6) Thor - $2,370,000
10. (7) Fast Five - $1,714,000

Watch the trailer for JJ Abrams's Super 8 below: