Dr Seuss’s The Lorax, the animated fable about the hazards of industrialised society, topped the North American box office on its debut weekend, taking in a stunning $70.7 million (€53.59 million), industry figures showed.

The Seuss movie set a record for the highest non-sequel animated film debut, ahead of The Incredibles.

Project X, a coarse comedy about a high school party that gets out of control, opened in second place with $20.8 million. Act of Valor, a war film starring active duty US Navy SEALs, slipped from the top spot to third place with $13.7 million.

CIA-based thriller Safe House, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, was fourth with $7.2 million in estimated weekend receipts.

The comedy-drama Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, was fifth with $7 million, followed by Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a family-friendly 3D adventure starring former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, with $6.9 million, the romantic drama The Vow, with $6.1 million, This Means War, ($5.6 million) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The Artist, riding its Oscars’ success, earned $3.9 million at the weekend.

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