Swat is another remake of a 1970s TV series

The film, starring Samuel L Jackson and Colin Farrell, followed in the footsteps of Charlie's Angels in converting a former hit TV series into Hollywood success.

Jamie Lee Curtis's remake of the Disney classic Freaky Friday opened in second place with $22.3m (�13.8m), box office trackers Exhibitor Relations said.

Last week's leader, romantic comedy sequel American Wedding, dropped to third with an expected take of $15.1m (�9.3m).

US top five 1. Swat 2. Freaky Friday 3. American Wedding 4. Pirates of the Caribbean 5. Seabiscuit

Disney also took fourth spot with Johnny Depp's fantasy spectacular Pirates of the Caribbean which made $13.1m (�8.15m).

Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire's horse racing drama, Seabiscuit, was fifth with $11.9m (�7.4m).

Children's secret agent spoof Spy Kids 3D: Game Over earned $10.1m (�6.2m), while Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's action-adventure film Bad Boys II took $6m (�3.7m).

Angelina Jolie's latest video game-inspired movie, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, generated $5.2m (�3.2m), while the Disney-Pixar animated fish story Finding Nemo was ninth with $2.5m (�1.5m).

Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose bid to become California's governor has raised more interest than his latest film, made $1.6m (�900,000) for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.