THUNDERBIRDS - CLOSER TOPS BRITISH BOX OFFICE

Star-studded movie CLOSER has beaten THUNDERBIRDS film spoof TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE to top the UK weekend box office chart.

The GOLDEN GLOBE-winning movie took $2.98 million (GBP1.57 million) at British cinemas last weekend (14-16JAN05) compared to the $2.9 million (GBP1.53 million) made by SOUTH PARK creators TREY PARKER and MATT STONE's satire, according to chart compilers SCREEN INTERNATIONAL.

Horror film WHITE NOISE dropped to third place after topping last week's chart with takings of $2.62 million (GBP1.38 million).

Director MARTIN SCORSESE's HOWARD HUGHES biopic THE AVIATOR ranked fourth with earnings of $1.86 million (GBP980,000) while CLINT EASTWOOD's MILLION DOLLAR BABY made $1.52 million (GBP800,000) to come fifth in the chart.

VANITY FAIR, starring REESE WITHERSPOON, debuted at number 13 in the chart, taking a meagre $389,500 (GBP205,000) during its first weekend on release.