Sex and the City 2 sells as sequel tops UK box office

Sex and the City 2 was the top draw at cinemas in the UK and Ireland at the weekend, making more than £6m in its first three days on release.

The sequel, which only claimed third place in the US box office chart, was widely panned by critics.

Having topped the UK chart last week, dance film Streetdance 3D fell a place with second weekend takings of £1.82m.

Hollywood blockbuster Prince of Persia did better in its second week but still failed to beat its British competition.

With weekend takings of £6.14m, Sex and the City 2 had the second biggest weekend opening of any film released in the UK and Ireland this year.

Comic book sequel Iron Man 2 is currently the movie to beat, having made £7.66m in its debut weekend at the end of April.

Yet the second big-screen spin-off from the US TV series did not make as much as its predecessor did in its opening weekend - £8.77m - in 2008.

In the US and Canada, meanwhile, it was outperformed by Shrek Forever After and Prince of Persia, despite opening over the lucrative Memorial Day weekend.

Other new releases in this week's UK and Ireland Top 10 failed to pass the £1m barrier.

These include Tooth Fairy, a family comedy starring former wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and animated sequel Space Chimps 2.

Filmgoers this side of the Atlantic face a lean few weeks, with no summer blockbusters being released until Shrek Forever After on 2 July.

Fears the World Cup football tournament will impact on cinema attendances have resulted in a month largely devoid of major US releases.