Hunger Games continues US chart run

The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth

The Hunger Games has topped the North American box office for the fourth week in a row - the first film to achieve the feat since Avatar in 2009.

The film, set in a dystopian future which forces teens to fight to the death on TV, took $21.5m (£13.6m).

The figure brings the movie's total 24-day haul to $337m (£213m) - already placing it in the top 25 of biggest box office earners in North America.

Distributor Lionsgate added global takings had now totalled $531m (£335m).

The Farrelly Brothers' slapstick update of classic US TV show The Three Stooges opened at two with $17.1m (£10.8m).

The film, starring Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe, Will Sasso as Curly and Will and Grace's Sean Hayes as Larry, exceeded industry estimates of around $10m (£6.3m).

The plot sees the trio stumble into a murder plot and star in a reality television show.

Acclaimed horror Cabin In The Woods opened at three, earning $14.8m (£9.3m).

Meanwhile, the 3D re-release of James Cameron's Titanic held the number four spot, bringing the film's global box office haul - including the original 1997 release - to around $2.03bn (£1.28bn).

It has now become the second film to pass the $2bn mark, trailing only to Cameron's Avatar, which took $2.8bn (£1.77bn).

The other new nationwide release, sci-fi thriller Lockout, opened in 10th place.

Starring Guy Pearce, the film tells the story of a man who tries to rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison.