'Smurfs' ties 'Cowboys & Aliens' at box office

Both Cowboys & Aliens and TheSmurfs claimed $36,206,250, the first time in more than a decade that the No. 1 movies have claimed the exact gross. A winner will be announced when final figures are released Monday.

Aliens fell about $4 million short of expectations, while Smurfs did $15 million more than projected despite horrendous reviews. And considering Smurfs was a kids' movie, the attendance contest likely went to Smurfs even if Aliens wins the dollar battle, as parents typically pay discounted tickets for their children.

"There's a lot of Smurf love out there in the country," says Sony distribution head Rory Bruer. "Probably in groups you don't expect. We're thrilled to say there's no No. 1."

Nikki Rocco, distribution chief for Universal Pictures, which released Aliens, says "clearly the race was neck-and-neck. But with the pedigree of our filmmakers, I'd make our movie again."

Most analysts projected Aliens to do about $40 million — about twice what the little guys from the 1980s TV show were expected to pull. But Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo says that Aliens' genre mashup, directed by Iron Man helmsman Jon Favreau, may have wasted its best joke first.

The title "is catchy, but it may have a Snakes on a Plane effect," the 2006 film that was an Internet sensation but mustered a disappointing $34 million.

"The title tells all in a goofily blunt way, so why see it?" he asks.

There have been plenty of close races at the box office. Meet the Spartans defeated the Rambo reboot in 2008 by $300,000. In 2003, The Recruit opened to $16.3 million, edging out Final Destination 2's $16.02 million. But an exact tie may be the result of executive one-upmanship, though no studio claimed credit.

Captain America: The First Avenger was third with $24.9 million, bringing its 10-day total to $116.8 million. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 was fourth with $21.9 million, followed by Crazy, Stupid, Love with $19.3 million.

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