MATTHEW FOX - ASSASSINATION FLICK VANTAGE POINT TOPS US BOX OFFICE

ASSASSINATION FLICK VANTAGE POINT TOPS US BOX OFFICE

Innovative action movie Vantage Point has topped the US box office after an impressive opening weekend of $24 million (£12.2 million) grossed.

The Pete Travis film, starring Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt and Forest Whitaker, tells of an assassination attempt on the US president while speaking at an anti-terrorism summit in Spain.

Aping the structure of the classic Akira Kurosawa picture Rashomon, Vantage Point pieces together the story of the assassination bid using the different points of view of eight witnesses, including secret service agents, a tourist, a TV producer and the president himself.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office assessor Media By Numbers, said the success of Vantage Point was down to its clever content and intricate structure.

"Audiences really love it when they get a summer-style popcorn movie at a time of the year when they don't expect it," he added.

Jumper, last week's number one movie, fell to second place, while Paramount family film The Spiderwick Chronicles took third place with $12.6 million (£6.4 million) in box office takings.

Be Kind Rewind, a surreal Michel Gondry comedy starring Jack Black and Mos Def, was the only other new entry in the top ten, sharing seventh place with Oscar-winner Juno.

The top ten movies at the US box office are:

1 Vantage Point - $24 million (£12.2 million)
2 Jumper - $12.7 million (£6.5 million)
3 The Spiderwick Chronicles $12.6 million (£6.4 million)
4 Step Up 2 the Streets - $9.8 million (£5 million)
5 Fool's Good - $6.3 million (£3.2 million)
6 Definitely, Maybe - $5.2 million (£2.6 million)
7 Be Kind Rewind - $4.1 million (£2.1 million)
7 Juno - $4.1 million (£2.1 million)
9 Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins - $4 million (£2 million)
10 There Will Be Blood - $2.6 million (£1.3 million)