Image by Daniel Semper via Flickr

The kid-friendly book-to-screen animated fantasy, How to Train Your Dragon, swooped in and took over the box office this past weekend in its debut, knocking Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland down to the second spot for the weekend ending March 28.

The other genre film debut, Hot Tub Time Machine, the Generation X science fiction bromance comedy came in at No. 3.

Up next week: the remake of the 1980s classic, Clash of the Titans, starring Sam Worthington (Avatar), Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes.

The Top 10 Genre films this past weekend are as follows:

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Phillippe joins an increasingly long list of 30-something actors who have auditioned for the part, including Channing Tatum and John Krasinski.

One part has been cast, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Hugo Weaving (The Matrix trilogy) has signed on to play arch-villain, the evil Nazi, Red Skull.

According to IMDB, Captain America is set for a July 22, 2011, debut in theaters.

Phillippe was at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Con to promote his new May-premiering movie, the comedy MacGruber, based on a recurring Saturday Night Live skit and starring Will Forte.

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OPENS: May 21, 2009
RATING: PG-13 (Violence, Gore, Language)
GENRE: Science Fiction, Horror

Starring: Christian Bale , Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Blair Williams , Bryce Dallas Howard, Jane Alexander, Helena Bonham Carter

Director: McG

Writer: John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris

Plot: Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its

army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind

the possible annihilation of mankind.

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In its second weekend, X-Men Origins: Wolverine ticket sales fell more than 68% to $27 million for the No. 2 spot on the Genre Top 10..

the only genre film set to debut next week, the supernatural religious thriller Angels and Demons is the follow-up to the DaVonci Code and is set for wide release.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of May 8-10, 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title – Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) Star Trek – $72.5 million | $76.5 million [N/A]
2. (2) X-Men Origins: Wolverine – $27 million | $129.6 million [$150 million]
3. (3) Ghosts of Girlfriends Past – $10.5 million | $30.2 million [N/A]
4. (5) 17 Again – $4.4 million | $54.2 million {N/A]
5. (8) Monsters vs. Aliens – $3.4 million | $186.9 million [$175 million]
6. (20) The Haunting in Connecticut – $0.19 million | $55.3 million [N/A]
7. (21) Battle for Terra – $0.18 million | $1.5 million [N/A]
8. (25) Crank: High Voltage – $0.12 million | $13.6 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo – list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

The only sci fi flick to debut this weekend was the Spanish-language Sleep Dealer, whichwas shown only an a hanful of theatres in Los Angeles and New York. It debuted at No. 10 on the genre movie list and No. 37 overall with just over $30 thousand.

The sole genre film set to debut next week: The Mutant Chronicles also is set for a limited release befire going to DVD and a broadcast TV debut on the Sci Fi Channel later this summer.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of April 17-19 , 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title – Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) 17 Again – $24 milllion | $24 million [N/A]
2. (3) Monsters vs. Aliens – $13 million | 163 million [$175 million]
3. (8) Knowing – $3.4 million | $74 million [N/A]
4. (10) The Haunting in Connecticut – $3.2 million | $52 million [N/A]
5. (11) Dragonball Evolution – $1.6 million | $7.8 million [N/A]
6. (15) Race to Witch Mountain – $0.7 million | $64 million [N/A]
7. (23) Coraline – $0.2 million | $75 million [N/A]
8. (26) Push- $0.09 million | $32 million [$38 million]
9. optical channel(30) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – $0.06 million | $127.5 million [$150 million]
10. (37) Sleep Dealer – $0.03 million | $0.03 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo – list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

OPENS: April 24, 2009
RATING: R (Violence, Language)
GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction

Starring: Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee, Benno Fürmann, John Malkovich

Director: Simon Hunter

Writer: Philip Eisner

Plot: In the year 2707, war rages between earths four giant corporations as they battle over the planet’s dwindling resources. In an era marked by warfare and social regression, the earth is on the verge of ruin, destruction is everywhere; battles explode on every ravaged continent. Amidst heavy combat, an errant shell shatters an ancient buried seal releasing a horrific mutant army from its eternal prison deep within the earth. As the mutant scourge threatens human extinction, a single squad of soldiers descends into the earth to fulfill the ages-old prophesy of the MUTANT CHRONICLES and save mankind.

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The site esurance.com has an exclusive preview with footage and interview clips the the director, writers, and actors of the upcoming Star Trek film, located here: http://www.esurance.com/welcome/landing/startrek/welcome.aspx?promoid=StarTrekHP

Starring: Robbie Coltrane, Matthew Knight, Eugene Levy, David James Elliott, Ingrid Kavelaars

Director: Wilson Coneybeare

Writer: Wilson Coneybeare

Plot: Willy (Matthew Knight, The Grudge 2 & 3) is terrified about moving into the family’s new house. He’s convinced it’s filled with evil space aliens out to get him. In response to his longing for someone to save him, Gooby (voiced by Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter‘s Hagrid) comes to life as a big, lovable, scruffy creature who quite possibly may be more frightened of the world than Willy. The two new pals embark on hair-raising adventures and learn about courage and the power of friendship. In the end, Gooby fulfills Willy’s wish by bringing Willy and his dad (David James Elliott, JAG) together in a heart-warming and exciting climax.

Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Tyler Steelman, Allison Miller, Sterling Knight, Michelle Trachtenberg

Director: Burr Steers

Writer: Jason Filardi

Plot: What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike O’Donnell is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just learned they are expecting. Almost 20 years later, Mike’s glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlett has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool in the class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.

Starring: Justin Chatwin, Yun-Fat Chow, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters, Joon Park, Eriko Tamura, Randall Duk Kim, Ernie Hudson, Texas Battle, Megumi Seki, Ian Whyte, Richard Blake

Director: James Wong

Writer: Ben Ramsey based on Akira Toriyama’s manga novel.

Plot: Dragonball Evolution is adapted from the manga created by Akira Toriyama; the work was also turned into a Japanese anime series that played all over the world. It tells the story of an alien sent to destroy Earth, who has a change of heart and decides to join the humans in their fight against various aliens and bad guys.