DiCaprio film beaten by Chihuahua

Family movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua has beaten Leonardo DiCaprio thriller Body of Lies to remain top of the North American box office.

Ridley Scott's terrorism movie, also starring Russell Crowe, had to settle for third place after the canine film and horror flick Quarantine.

Analysts say a week of dire economic news went against the gritty film as cinema-goers sought light escapism.

British film The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley, moved into the top 10.

'Difficult timing'

Guy Ritchie's latest movie RocknRolla, had a limited initial opening in just seven cinemas and made an impressive $141,000 (£82,100).

The film has already topped the UK box office chart.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros, said they had "ran into really difficult timing" with the release of Body of Lies.

US BOX OFFICE TOP FIVE
Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies
1 Beverly Hills Chihuahua - $17.5m
2 Quarantine - $14.2m
3 Body of Lies (pictured) - $13.1m
4 Eagle Eye - $11m
5 Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - $6.5m
Source: Media By Numbers

"The nation suffered such an economic loss this week that the mood of our audience was such that they were probably looking for a little more escapism than to see a movie on terrorism," he said.

Film-maker Ridley Scott also directed Russell Crowe in Gladiator, which earned the star an Oscar for best actor.

Other new releases also performed poorly in a selection of films heavy on drama.

Football drama The Express and fantasy film City of Ember opened at number six and ten respectively.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which tells the tale of a pampered pooch lost in Mexico voiced by Drew Barrymore, was one of the few light comedies available to see.

Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution, said: "People come out for comedy. They love to sit back and let someone give them a couple of hours of escapism."

-BBC News