Corona | Coming Attractions

DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens debuted at the number one spot for the weekend's box office earning an estimated $58.2 million dollars. That monster-sized opening would give the animated film the third-highest opening ever for March (Ice Age: The Meltdown netted $68 million in 2006 and 300 opened with $70 million in 2007.)

Monsters vs. Aliens opens in theaters today, playing on 4,104 screens.

With almost one year to go until the release of Monsters vs. Aliens, DreamWorks has finally lifted the curtain on the voice talent lined up for this project. The cast includes Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy, an average woman until the day of her wedding when she is hit by a meteor and grows to be 49 feet and 11-inches tall. Her life flung upside-down, Susan is brought in by the military and given the codename Ginormica.

Also in the cast are Hugh Laurie (House) as the diminunative genius Dr. Cockroach, PhD.; Will Arnett (Blades of Glory) as the evolutionary conundrum The Missing Link; Rainn Wilson (The Office) as the alien Gallaxhar; Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) as the amoeba-like B.O.B.; Kiefer Sutherland (24) as General W.R. Monger; Stephen Colbert as The President of the United States; and Paul Rudd (Anchorman) as Derek, Susan's boyfriend.

USA Today also unveiled a brand new piece of art from the film showing the main characters and also presented quotes from Witherspoon about what attracted her to the part of such a tall character. "I got very inspired when the studio showed me storyboards," Witherspoon told the paper. "Playing a larger-than-life woman has given me my own opportunity to make tall jokes."

The piece also has quotes from Jeffrey Katzenberg about the 3D technology being used for the film and reveals that it will cost DreamWorks Animation another $15 million to process the movie into stereoscopic 3D.

IGN reports that, during a conference call with its investors to report on the company's latest finances, Activision mentioned that it is developing a video game tie-in for Monsters vs. Aliens. No additional details about the game's premise or if the film's yet-to-be revealed voice cast will star in the game was mentioned but the company did say that the title would be out in the company's 2009 fiscal year which ends in March of that year.

Another release date change for the film to report: DreamWorks has bumped up the opening day to March 27, 2009 from May 15.

Monsters vs. Aliens has shifted its release date up one week from May 22 to May 15, 2009. This moves the animated feature out of opening weekend competiton with Avatar, James Cameron's next movie which will also be presented in 3D.