 Ewan McGregor stars as a man who tells unbelievable stories in Big Fish |
The Return of the King and Big Fish are in an unusual duel to take the weekly top spot at the US box office. The films are so close that the number one will not be confirmed until final figures are released later on Monday.
Tim Burton's new film could knock the final part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy from pole position, which it has held for three weeks on the trot.
Sunday estimates predicted that Big Fish will nudge ahead with takings of $14.1 million (�7.6 million).
"This is very rare to have a photo finish for the number one spot," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office monitor Exhibitor Relations.
Big Fish starsEwan McGregor and Albert Finney, who portray a man at two stages of his life who tells unbelievable stories.
Critics have welcomed it as a return to form by Batman director Tim Burton, after his poorly-received 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes.
Big Fish opened in a small number of US cinemas in December in a bid for Academy Award nomination.
Other new entries in the box office chart were comedy My Baby's Daddy in sixth place and romance Chasing Liberty at number seven.
There was an increase in overall US box office takings compared to last year, with the top 12 films taking $92.5m (�49.9m), up 5% from the same weekend in 2003.
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