DENZEL WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON FIRES UP THE BOX OFFICE

DENZEL WASHINGTON is hot again - his new movie MAN ON FIRE has shot to the top of the American movie charts.

In a bumper weekend for the box office, Washington's film and JENNIFER GARNER's coming-of-age comedy 13 GOING ON 30 both swept past the $20 million (GBP11.1 million) mark.

But it was Washington's violent kidnapping drama, directed by TONY SCOTT, which took the top spot with $23 million (GBP12.8 million).

Last week's number one, KILL BILL: VOL 2, dropped to third with a $10.4 million (GBP5.7 million) second weekend take.

Meanwhile, MEL GIBSON's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST slipped out of the top 10 for the first time since its release nine weeks ago. The film made another $2.1 million (GBP1.17 million) at the weekend taking its tally to $364.3 million (GBP202.4 million).