The Fantastic Four link up with an arch enemy to try to save Earth

It outperformed its predecessor by taking an estimated $57.4m (�28.9m) in three days, compared to $56m (�28.2m) for the first in the series in 2005.

Last week's number one, Ocean's Thirteen, dropped to second place.

Meanwhile Shrek the Third was the most popular film globally, breaking records for the opening of an animated release in countries such as Brazil and Turkey.

It generated an estimated $46m (�23.2m) outside the US and Canada, according to industry figures compiled from 36 countries and territories.

'Word-of-mouth' hit

In North America, Shrek the Third ranked in sixth place.

Elsewhere in that chart, there was only one other new entry - Nancy Drew, a big-screen spin-off from the series of novels about a teenage detective.

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE 1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ($57.4m) 2. Ocean's Thirteen ($19.1m) 3. Knocked Up (pictured, $14.5m) 4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($12.0m) 5. Surf's Up ($9.3m) 6. Shrek the Third ($9.0m) 7. Nancy Drew ($7.1m) 8. Hostel: Part II ($3.0m) 9. Mr Brooks ($2.8m) 10. Spider-Man 3 ($2.5m) Source: Media by Numbers

It starred Emma Roberts, niece of Hollywood star Julia Roberts, and entered at number seven.

And the steady success of Knocked Up, a comedy about a woman who becomes pregnant as a result of a one-night stand, has impressed industry analysts.

It has earned $90.5m (�45.6m) to date, and remained at number three this week.

"Knocked Up is holding really well," Paul Dergarabedian of Media by Numbers - the company which compiles the box office chart - told Reuters.

"It only dropped 26% in its third weekend. That's really incredible.

"Usually movies drop more like 50% this far along. That means it's getting very strong word-of-mouth. It's an alternative to the summer-style blockbusters."

'Family-friendly'

The Fantastic Four film brought back together a quartet of astronauts who are also mutant superheroes.

Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans took the lead roles, and its success was down to its wide appeal, according to Chris Aronson from Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox.

"A lot of the superhero comic-book movies are sort of geared toward being darker and edgier," he told the Associated Press.

"We think Fantastic Four is a more family-friendly group of superheroes.