VINCE VAUGHN - US IN FESTIVE MOOD AS FOUR CHRISTMASES TOPS BOX OFFICE

US IN FESTIVE MOOD AS FOUR CHRISTMASES TOPS BOX OFFICE

Seasonal comedy Four Christmases has debuted at the top of the US box office after its first week on release.

The Vince Vaughn-Reece Witherspoon film capitalised on the lucrative Thanksgiving weekend to take the number one spot across the Atlantic, with $46.7 million (£31.3 million) in box office receipts.

The New Line film sees Vaughn and Witherspoon as a married couple forced to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day when their plans to escape on vacation go awry.

Last week's number one, Twilight, fell one place but still earned an impressive $39.5 million (£26.2 million) after its record-breaking $70 million (£46.4 million) debut.

Disney animated comedy Bolt remains in third in its second week on release but was only narrowly beaten by Twilight, final box office figures confirmed.

Australia, Baz Lurhmann's new epic, entered the chart in fifth having taken $20 million (£13.1 million) since its debut on Wednesday.

Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, the period drama tells of a romance set amid a massive cattle drive and the Japanese bombing of Darwin.

The big-budget production - rumoured to have cost £78 million to make - opens in the UK on Boxing Day.

The top ten films at the US box office are: (last week's position)

1 Four Christmases (-)
2 Twilight (1)
3 Bolt (3)
4 Quantum of Solace (2)
5 Australia (-)
6 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (4)
7 Transporter 3 (-)
8 Role Models (5)
9 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (8)
10 Milk (-)