\'Wreck-It Ralph\' a Hit for Disney

It's time to declare a comeback. With “Wreck-It Ralph,” which was a huge No. 1 over the weekend, Walt Disney's fabled but recently troubled animation studio is sizzling again. The well-reviewed and aggressively marketed film, which cost about $165 million to make, took in about $49.1 million at North American theaters, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data. A decade ago Disney's animation studio was struggling mightily in the computerized shadow of Pixar and DreamWorks Animation. But Disney's 2006 purchase of Pixar set in motion a turnaround that started with “Tangled,” a global smash hit in 2010.

Paramount's “Flight” was second for the weekend, taking in a stronger-than-expected $25 million in a relatively limited release, exhibiting Denzel Washington's star power. Paramount spent about $31 million to make “Flight,” which was directed by Robert Zemeckis. “Argo” (Warner Brothers) was third, selling about $10.2 million in ticke ts for a four-week total of $75.9 million. Universal's “Man With the Iron Fists” placed fourth, taking in about $8.2 million; a fourth-place debut is never good, but Universal protected itself by keeping production costs to just $15 million. “Taken 2” (20th Century Fox) was fifth, taking in about $6 million for a five-week total of $125.7 million.