Movies
Robert Zemeckis's animated film, starring Jim Carrey, pulled in $31m in its opening weekend.
Michael Jackson's This Is It slipped to number two with $14m.
Other debuts this week include The Men Who Stare At Goats at number three with $13.3m, thriller The Fourth Kind at number four with $12.5m and Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly's The Box took sixth with $7.8m.
Vince Vaughn comedy Couples Retreat and Law Abiding Citizen claimed the number seven and eight positions respectively.
Landing at number ten was Summit Entertainment's $65m-budgeted animated feature Astroy Boy with a mere $2.5m in its third week on release.
The US box office top ten in full:
1. (-) A Christmas Carol - $$31,000,000
2. (1) This Is It - $14,000,000
3. (-) The Men Who Stare at Goats - $13,309,000
4. (-) The Fourth Kind - $12,521,000
5. (2) Paranormal Activity - $8,600,000
6. (-) The Box - $7,855,000
7. (4) Couples Retreat - $6,428,000
8. (3) Law Abiding Citizen - $6,172,000
9. (5) Where The Wild Things Are - $4,225,000
10. (7) Astroy Boy - $2,588,000
Movie Reviews
'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close' reviewTom Hanks features in a long and winding journey through New York after 9/11
At the Movies
David Lynch: 10 reasons to worship himIt's time to celebrate director David Lynch as the BFI screens a season of his films.
Movies Interviews
Max von Sydow 'Extremely Loud' interviewActing legend Max von Sydow on Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Exorcist and Flash Gordon.
Box Office Charts
'The Woman in Black' wins UK box officeThe Woman in Black beats The Muppets and Star Wars at the the UK box office.
