Hansel And Gretel tops N. America box office

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A horror-movie twist on the classic Hansel And Gretel fairy tale shot straight to the top slot at the North American weekend box office, industry figures showed on Monday.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, in which the once lost brother and sister have grown up to become grim-faced bounty hunters, debuted in first place with US$19.7 million (S$24.4 million), according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The supernatural thriller screamed past fellow horror flick Mama, which fell into the second slot in its second weekend in theaters.

Mama, in which a shadowy being trails two young children rescued after being lost in the woods when their parents died, took in US$13.1 million.