LOS ANGELES - The animated version of the bestselling Dr. Seuss book "Horton Hears a Who," took the top spot at cinemas across North America in its opening weekend, provisional industry figures showed Sunday.
The tale of an elephant who hears a cry from a speck of dust and pledges to help what he assumes must be a tiny form of life grossed 45.1 million dollars this weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Starring the voice of Jim Carrey, this latest hit from Fox's Blue Sky Studios -- the people behind "Ice Age" -- knocked special effects-laden "10,000 BC" into the second spot.
The Stone Age epic, which charts a young mammoth hunter's quest to preserve his tribe's way of life, earned 16.4 million dollars in its second weekend.
In third place was new entry "Never Back Down," a Karate-Kid style tale of a tough kid who, moving to a new city, finds himself drawn into the world of mixed martial arts.
It grossed 8.6 million dollars, pushing coming-of-age comedy "College Road Trip," featuring a father's antics as his daughter prepares to go off to university, into fourth place with earnings of 7.9 million dollars.
"Vantage Point," which reconstructs the assassination of a US president through the eyes of eight witnesses, dropped to fifth place this weekend with earnings of 5.4 million dollars.
In sixth place with 4.9 million was heist movie "The Bank Job," based on a real 1971 London robbery in which neither the thieves or the cash was ever found.
Opening at seven was "Doomsday," an aptly named futuristic thriller about a group of people racing to cure a virus that has plunged their country into fear and chaos, with takings of 4.7 million dollars.
The comedy "Semi-Pro," starring comedian Will Ferrell as the flamboyant owner of a hapless basketball team, took just under three million dollars, dropping three places since last weekend to eighth.
Hot on its heels with takings of 2.9 million was British historical drama "The Other Boyleyn Girl," with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson playing sisters vying for the affections of King Henry VIII.
Finishing off the top 10 was the children's fantasy "The Spiderwick Chronicles," which took in 2.4 million dollars.
ar/ksh
03/16/2008 17:54 GMT