X-Men breaks US box office records

The X-Men mutants have overpowered the human competition at the US box office for the Memorial Day holiday weekend in North America.

The final film in the comic-book trilogy logged the fourth-biggest opening of all time, according to studio estimates on Monday.

X-Men: The Last Stand earned $US120.1 million ($A158.9 million) in the four days since opening on May 26, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Monday.

It set new records as the biggest Memorial Day holiday opener ever and the biggest debut so far this year.

The Da Vinci Code previously held the honours for the best opening of the year after launching last weekend to $US77 million ($A101.9 million). XMEN over Da Vinci Code

It slipped to No. 2 with a four-day sum of $US43 million and a total of $US145.5 million ($A192.5 million), but remained the top film internationally.

Over the Hedge was No. 3 in North America with $US35.3 million ($A46.7 million), also down one spot. Its two-week total rose to $US84.4 million ($A111.6 million).

While the X-Men franchise is on fire, Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible series is on the ropes.

Mission: Impossible III has grossed $US115.8 million ($A153.2 million) after four weekends. XMEN over Misson ImPosSIbLE

At the same stage in their cycles, 1996's Mission: Impossible had earned about $US145 million ($A191.8 million), and 2000's Mission: Impossible 2 $US177 million ($A234.1 million). For the current weekend, the new film earned $US8.6 million, ranking at No. 4.

The Friday-to-Sunday haul for X-Men: The Last Stand was $US103.1 ($A136.37) million, revised down from the $US107 million ($A141.5 million) estimate released on Sunday. But the three-day sum still ranks No. 4 on the all-time list.

The record for a film opening on a Friday is held by 2002's Spider-Man ($US115 million) ($A152.1 million), followed by 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($US108.4 million) ($A143.4 million) and 2004's Shrek 2 ($US108 million) ($A142.9 million).