'Wreck-It Ralph' crushes box office competitors

Actor Will Ferrell (L) and cast member John C. Reilly attend the premiere of the animated film ''Wreck-It Ralph'' in Los Angeles October 29, 2012.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Wreck-It Ralph," Disney's (DIS.N) animated film about a video game character who destroys everything in his path, made history on Sunday after grossing $49.1 million in ticket sales to lead the weekend box office, the highest-grossing opening weekend in Disney animation history.

The tally for "Wreck-It-Ralph, which featured the voices of John C. Reilly and Jane Lynch, hammered the Denzel Washington film "Flight," which generated ticket sales of $25 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates.

The critically acclaimed Iran hostage thriller "Argo," last week's box office leader, was third, generating $10.2 million in sales. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, "Argo" has totaled $75.9 million in its three weeks in movie theaters.

Walt Disney Co released "Wreck-It Ralph." "Flight" was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O). Warner Bros.(TWX.N), a division of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), distributed "Argo."

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by David Gregorio)