LOS ANGELES - A wisecracking demon from hell took down The Rock for the weekend's box-office title.

"Hellboy," starring Ron Perlman as the comic-book superhero with red skin, horns and a tail, debuted as the top flick with $23.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Rock's "Walking Tall," a remake of the 1973 vigilante-justice tale, opened in second place with $15.3 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $50 million.

The weekend's other new wide releases followed: Disney's animated cow tale "Home on the Range" at No. 4 with $14 million and Julia Stiles' love story "The Prince and Me" at No. 5 with $10 million.

Having five movies pull in $10 million or more is a rarity for early April, typically a slower time at theaters. The range of movies left something for all audiences, from G-rated family adventures to teen romance to violent shoot-'em-ups.

"This weekend was like the classic movie-goers' weekend. You had all these different genres represented," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "If you wanted lots of choices, they certainly were there for you."

A cult attraction compared to better-known comic books such as "Spider-Man" and "X-Men," "Hellboy" managed to draw a broad audience with its mix of dark humor and nonstop action.

Perlman plays a demon raised by a loving adopted father (John Hurt), who grooms the hero to work for a government paranormal bureau disguised as a waste-management operation.

The movie presents a working-class hero fighting for good despite his demonic pedigree and wistful longing for the affection of a beautiful colleague (Selma Blair).

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "Hellboy," $23.5 million.

2. "Walking Tall," $15.3 million.

3. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $15.1 million.

4. "Home on the Range," $14 million.

5. "The Prince and Me," $10 million.

6. "The Passion of the Christ," $9.9 million.

7. "The Ladykillers," $7 million.

8. "Jersey Girl," $5.1 million.

9. "Dawn of the Dead," $4.4 million.

10. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," $3.6 million.