"Cowboys & Aliens" ties "Smurfs" for box office lead

Sci-fi Western "Cowboys & Aliens" landed in a dead heat with animated family film "The Smurfs" at the weekend box office with each movie taking in about $36.2 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.

Superhero flick "Captain America: The First Avenger" finished third with $24.9 million in ticket sales during its second weekend in theaters.

"Cowboys & Aliens" was released by Universal Pictures, a division of Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O). Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp (6758.T) (SNE.N), distributed "The Smurfs." "Captain America" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom (VIAb.N).