Actor Paul Walker has canine co-stars in Eight Below

The movie, which tells the story of an abandoned pack of sled dogs, beat new release Date Movie into second place.

Former chart-topper The Pink Panther slipped to three, while new Samuel L Jackson film Freedomland only made number seven, taking $7m (�4m).

Russian thriller Night Watch made a strong opening in just three cinemas.

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The picture, which has been a huge hit in its country of origin, took $110,171 (�63,212) between Friday and Monday, which included the President's Day holiday in the US.

Released in Russia as Nochnoy Dozor in 2004, it is due to come out on general release in the US on 3 March in around 150 cinemas.

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE 1 Eight Below - $25m (�14.35m) 2 Date Movie - $22.3m (�12.8m) 3 The Pink Panther - $21m (�12m) 4 Curious George - $15.3m (�8.78m 5 Final Destination 3 - $12.5m (�7.17m) Source: Exhibitor Relations

The overall takings were only slightly down on the same weekend last year, which was particularly strong.

Parents and children made up one-third of the audiences that went to see Eight Below, while spoof romance Date Movie was especially popular with the under-25s.

It features Alyson Hannigan from the American Pie series and Adam Campbell in a parody of such romantic comedies as Hitch, Meet The Fockers and The Wedding Planner.