'Up' flies into first place in US

Pixar's latest offering Up has topped the US box office on its first weekend on release.

The CG animation, Pixar's first to be released in 3D, takes in $68 million to knock Night At The Museum 2 from the chart summit. It is the third highest opening for the studio, behind The Incredibles and Finding Nemo.

Featuring the voices of Christopher Plummer and Edward Asner, Up centres on a 78-year-old man who ties balloons to his home and flies off on an adventure to South America.

Sam Raimi's return to horror Drag Me To Hell is the only other new entry at number three, while Terminator Salvation slides to four with a 62% drop in ticket sales.

The US top ten in full:

1. (-) Up - $68,200,000
2. (1) Night At The Museum 2 - $25,500,000
3. (-) Drag Me To Hell - $16,628,000
4. (2) Terminator Salvation - $16,140,000
5. (3) Star Trek - $12,800,000
6. (4) Angels & Demons - $11,200,000
7. (5) Dance Flick - $4,900,000
8. (6) X-Men Origins: Wolverine - $3,900,000
9. (7) Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past - $1,905,000
10. (8) Obsessed - $665,000