Cage comic hero tops box office

Ghost Rider is based on a Marvel Comic character

Comic book movie Ghost Rider has held on to top spot in the North American box office chart for a second week. The adventure, which stars Nicolas Cage as a man who gives up his soul to battle for justice, made an estimated $19.7m (£10m) from Friday to Sunday.

Jim Carrey thriller The Number 23, about a man obsessed with a book, opened in second with $15.1m (£7.8m).

Fantasy Bridge to Terabithia was in third place, with comedy Reno 911!: Miami in fourth.

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE 1. Ghost Rider ($19.7m) 2. The Number 23 ($15.1m) 3. Bridge to Terabithia (£13.6m) 4. Reno 911!: Miami ($10.4m) 5. Norbit ($9.7m) Source: Media by Numbers

The spoof is based on a popular Comedy Central TV series Reno 911 and was made on a budget of less than $10m (£5.9m).

Eddie Murphy’s comedy Norbit slid from third to fifth.

New at 10 was British director Michael Apted’s Amazing Grace, starring Ioan Gruffudd as 18th Century anti-slavery pioneer William Wilberforce.

The 12 top movies together grossed an estimated $101.8m (£51.9), up 1.5% from the same weekend last year.