JACKIE CHAN - JACKIE CHAN AND JET LI RESCUE BOX OFFICE WITH FORBIDDEN KINGDOM

JACKIE CHAN AND JET LI RESCUE BOX OFFICE WITH FORBIDDEN KINGDOM

The Forbidden Kingdom, starring martial arts icons Jackie Chan and Jet Li, has boosted the North American box office after a bumper opening weekend.

The English-language film, the first time Chan and Li have appeared on screen together, took $20.9 million (£10.5 million) during its first three days of release.

The ticket haul saw the box office in the states improve on last year's total for the first time in April, with the top 12 releases earning $82.1 million (£41.4 million), Screen International said.

At second place in the stakes was Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a romantic comedy from Knocked Up's Judd Apatow.

Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand star in the film, which took $17.3 million (£8.7 million).

Elsewhere, last week's top box office draw Prom Night slipped to third place, one above Al Pacino's critically-panned 88 Minutes.

The only other new entry in the top ten - Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed – was in ninth place after making $3.2 million (£1.6 million).

North American box office

1 The Forbidden Kingdom (new entry)
2 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (new entry)
3 Prom Night (1)
4 88 Minutes (new entry)
5 Nim's Island (4)
6 21 (3)
7 Street Kings (2)
8 Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (6)
9 Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (new entry)
10 Leatherheads (5)