Amazing Spider-Man 2 leaps to top of US box office

Jamie Foxx (left) and Andrew Garfield star in The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Marvel sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has opened at the top of the North American box office with takings of $92m (£54.5m).

The superhero Sony film enjoyed the second best domestic debut of the year so far, just behind Disney's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The latter took $96m (£58m) in its first weekend in April.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an overseas haul of $116m (£68.7m) over the weekend.

That brings the film's international total to $370m (£219.3m) after three weeks on release outside the US and Canada.

The movie sees Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) defending himself against numerous super villains including the Rhino, played by Paul Giamatti.

The sequel bumped last week's North American number one - The Other Woman, starring Cameron Diaz - into second spot, with takings of $14.2m (£8.4m).

Heaven is for Real, the story of a young boy who claims to have visited heaven during a near-death experience, was third with $8.6m (£5m).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was fourth with $7.7m (£4.5m) in its fifth week, with animation Rio 2 at number five with $7.6m (£4.5m)

A fair comparison with the 2012 opening of The Amazing Spider-Man is difficult, since the first film opened the week of the 4th of July, when the US has a national holiday - it took $62m (£36.7m) on its opening weekend and $137m (£81.2m) over its first week.

Sony has two more Spider-Man movies due for release in 2016 and 2018.