The sci-fi thriller "Super 8" opened at the number one spot at the North American box office this weekend, as estimates showed the film grossing $37 million in projected three-day sales.

Actor Josh Holloway arrives at the premiere of Paramount Pictures\' "Super 8" at Regency Village Theatre on June 8, 2011 in Westwood, California.

The horror movie, directed by JJ Abrams, takes place in a small Ohio town where a group of friends witnesses a train wreck while making a home movie. Shortly after the crash, inexplicable events and disappearances begin to occur.

Amid "Super 8\'s" debut, "X-Men: First Class" disappeared from the first place slot while earning an estimated $25 million over the weekend and landing in second place. After the prequel\'s second week it has earned a total of $98.9 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The Hangover: Part II" is in third place for estimated weekend sales, with $18.5 million earnings this weekend and a total of $216.6 million domestically over three weeks.

The financial heavyweight for the summer so far is "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which has netted $887 million worldwide in five weeks and a projected $10.8 million this weekend while coming in fifth at the box office.

The other film to open amid the top ten this week was "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer," which landed in the number seven spot and is expected to bring in $6.2 million over the weekend.

In fourth place, the cartoon sequel "Kung Fu Panda 2" raked in an expected $16.6 million over the weekend and the comedy "Bridesmaids" came in sixth with just over $10 million in sales.

Woody Allen\'s "Midnight in Paris" and the action film "Thor" were also in the top ten as eighth and ninth respectively, while "Fast Five" crossed the finish line at the tenth spot in its seventh week.