The animated family film, which features the voice of teen idol Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a young Simba, was originally released in 1994, when it opened with takings of more than $40 million (£25 million), and it's proved a big hit the second time around, too.

The Lion King 3D knocked last week's (11Sep11) number one, the star-studded outbreak thriller Contagion, into second place with $14.5 million (£9 million).

Ryan Gosling's Drive enters at three, followed by The Help at four. The remake of 1971 psychological thriller Straw Dogs debuts at five, while Sarah Jessica Parker's new comedy I Don't Know How She Does It only manages to reach sixth place on the weekly chart.