Final tally puts "Kick-Ass" atop box office

Actors (L-R) Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, and Aaron Johnson pose for a portrait during a media day promoting the film ''Kick-Ass'' in New York April 8, 2010.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Superhero action comedy "Kick-Ass" won a tight contest at the North American box office this weekend, edging out "How to Train Your Dragon" and reversing the order from early estimates, according to final data released on Monday.

It was the second photo-finish in a row in the coveted race for the No.1 spot.

"Kick-Ass" made $19.83 million at U.S. and Canada box offices, compared to an earlier estimate released on Sunday of $19.75 million. "Dragon" made $19.63 million, but the previous estimate put the figure at $20 million.

"Kick-Ass," a movie about scrappy and self-made superheroes, is from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp and "Dragon," a film about a teenage Viking who domesticates a dragon, was made by DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Last week, early estimates showed that comedy "Date Night" had beaten action film "Clash of the Titans" at box offices, but the next day's final figures put "Clash" at No. 1.

Early box office figures, which are released on Sunday morning, can differ from the final tally because studios estimate ticket sales for Sunday based on returns for Friday and Saturday.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)