TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - TURTLE POWER STORMS US BOX OFFICE

TURTLE POWER STORMS US BOX OFFICE

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shot to number one in the US box office charts in its opening weekend.

Industry figures released today put TMNT, the turtle-powered return of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, on around $25 million (£12.74 million).

The CGI-animated film, coming 14 years after the pair's last major screen outing, seems to have created a powerful pulling force both for little children and their enthusiastic fathers.

Master Splinter's gang have overcome the Spartan threat of 300, the action-packed feature from director Zack Snyder which was expected to put up some stiff competition over the weekend period.

Instead 300 managed to gross just over $20 million (£10.19 million), meaning the pizza-loving turtles – whose picture features the voice talents of vampire slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar and Patrick Stewart – reign supreme over the weekend.

Lower down the charts this weekend, Paramount's Shooter came in third, The Last Mimzy was fourth and Wild Hogs was fifth, according to Variety magazine.