With summer 2010 so clearly dominated by reboots and sequels, it’s nice to see an original concept rise to the top for a change. Even with Toy Story 3 and The Last Airbender still out there occupying those precious 3D screens, Universal’s 3D animated Despicable Me exceeded most projections by taking first place this weekend with an estimated $60.1 million.

After siphoning away 30% of Alice in Wonderland‘s precious 3D screens, Dreamworks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon was the big winner this weekend – although its total may have been a bit under what the studio was hoping for.

With Avatar the reigning champ and Sherlock Holmes still to come, Hollywood crossed the $10 billion line for the first time in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for 2009.  Through Sunday, the total stood just $36 million short of crossing the $10 billion line, according to tracking firm Hollywood Box Office, and was set to plow across it Tuesday night.

The year’s top box office attractions were Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and with hits like Harry Potter and The Hangover, Warner Bros. was the North American box office champ among studios.  And with both Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Sherlock Holmes and the return of those rascally rodents in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel coming in time for Christmas, the final take is expected to top $10.4 billion.

Hit the jump for a list of the top 20 domestic box office hits of 2009.

NBC is airing a sequel of sorts to DreamWorks “Monsters vs. Aliens” on October 28th.  It’s called “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” and the special starts after the events of “Monsters vs. Aliens”.  It’s sort of like a Charlie Brown Halloween special, except it’s with the cast of “Monsters vs. Aliens”.

Anyway, while I thought the concept of “MVA” was cool, the film just didn’t work for me.  The jokes were all over the place and except for the one great action sequence in San Francisco, I thought the movie was a wasted opportunity.  Saying that, I liked the characters, and if they were to come up with a better story, I’d be up for a sequel.  I just don’t know if this NBC special is it.  But if you loved the movie and have been waiting for more adventures with the monsters, check out 5 clips after the jump. The special features the voices of the Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland and Rainn Wilson.

NBC has announced they’ll be airing 2 all-new half-hour holiday specials based off of “Monsters vs. Aliens” and “Madagascar”.  Many of the original characters will return for both films along with the original voice talents.  “Monster vs. Aliens” will have the Halloween special with “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space”, while “Madagascar” will get the Christmas special with “”Merry Madagascar”.  To find out when both specials will air and what they will be about, continue reading after the jump.

I hope Josh Hartnett graduates from high school soon.  I wonder what college he’ll go to and how his career will progress as he matures and…what?  He’s 31?  Like in dog years?  He’s 31.  Does he have a portrait of himself in his attic that just gets older for him?  Well, it looks like he’ll be playing the lead in the upcoming film “Gunslinger” which I guess they’ll have set in an alternate world where a 14-year-old can buy firearms along with some Axe Body Spray.  Hit the jump to tell Hartnett that “Halo” skills don’t translate to real weapons.