"Underworld" on top at the box office

Vampires and werewolves lured moviegoers to theaters this weekend as the fourth "Underworld" film topped domestic box office charts and brought in an estimated 39 million dollars (USD) around the world.
"Underworld: Awakening" stars Kate Beckinsale as a vampire leading the charge in a battle against humans trying to drive her species and the werewolves to extinction.
The fourth movie opened stronger than two of the three earlier films in the franchise.
In second place, World War Two story "Red Tails" far exceeded studio forecasts with 19 million domestically.
"Red Tails" stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. in a drama about Tuskegee Airmen -- a black pilot group in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War Two.
Last weekend's winner, thriller "Contraband" starring Mark Wahlberg, finished its second weekend in theaters in third place, grabbing 12 million domestically.
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," a drama about a boy trying to make sense of his father's death on 9/11, landed in fourth place with 10.5 million. The movie had opened in a small number of theaters on Christmas but expanded nationwide this weekend. The film stars Thomas Horn as the boy and Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as his parents.
John Russell, Reuters.