Daniel Craig's quantum leap

Daniel Craig may be a man of many talents, but he also has the power of prophecy.

"I'm going to get hurt," he said at the press launch for Quantum of Solace in January - just after filming on his second outing as 007 had commenced.

And here's Craig nine months later with his right arm in a sling after a shoulder operation, having also severed his fingertip and had eight stitches in his face after being accidentally kicked by one of his co-stars.

The actor proffers his left arm for a solid - if slightly awkward - handshake and, despite all those injuries, is in an ebullient mood about the new film.

"I'm very happy with the result and director Marc Forster's done an amazing job, so I couldn't be happier at the moment," Craig says, his eyes every as bit as blue in real life as they are on the big screen.

Creative input

Critics have given Quantum of Solace a largely positive reception

The first reviews have been largely positive and critics and fans are starting to openly declare Craig to be the best Bond of them all.

Not least because he has helped reinvent Bond as a cruel and emotionally battered character who is far closer to the superspy of Ian Fleming's novels.

"The character's rounded and 90% of his views I can't go along with," says Craig.

"But he falls in love and falls out of love, he struggles with his work, and to get some of those in the movie is just the job. I don't know another way of doing it - I look to the Flemings for help."

Quantum of Solace is the shortest Bond movie to date, but packs in more locations than ever before.

Filming began in January at Pinewood Studios in the UK before moving on to Panama, Chile's Atacama desert, various locations in Italy including Siena and Lake Garda, plus Bregenz in Austria and San Felipe, Mexico.

The workload, says Craig, was tougher than it was on Casino Royale.

"There was a potential actors' strike in June or July and because we'd started we had to finish on a certain date, so the pressure was on - we couldn't stop. If I'd got an injury and we'd had to stop for a couple of weeks it would have really screwed things around. "

Quantum of Solace is the shortest Bond film to date

So how much creative input does Craig have in the production process?

"I don't shut up!" he laughs. "I can't give you a percentage. I try and involve myself with everything - but I don't interfere. Marc's the director and it's important that his vision of the movie comes across very strongly.

"We sat in meetings months before we started shooting and talked about what we wanted. So I'm as involved as much as I can be."

Return of Q?

Both of Craig's Bond movies have ditched the gadgets, the glib one-liners, Miss Moneypenny and Q . Bond doesn't even sleep with his feisty sidekick Camille (Olga Kurylenko).

But Craig is adamant that the likes of Moneypenny and Q have not been consigned to Bond history.

Olga Kurylenko plays Bond's sidekick Camille

"No, not at all," he says. "We certainly have to introduce them and earn the right to have them. You can't just drop them in. There's a generation of people who don't know Bond movies and I want them to watch the movies and understand who those characters are."

So how does Daniel Craig - the actor - detach himself from the world of James Bond and keep his feet on the ground?

"By getting away from it as much as possible," says Craig decisively.

"And where do you go?"

"Well I'm not going to tell you, am I?" says Craig with an icy blue warning flash of those piercing eyes. Then he breaks into laughter.

"No, I spend time with my friends and my family the people that matter to me."

And then it's time for a final left-handed shake, before Craig heads off on another assignment with a member of the press.

But James Bond will return in 2010 - and it looks like some old Bond favourites might be joining him too.

US TV presenter dies after attack

Viewers in Arkansas and across the US have been paying tribute to a local TV newsreader who died at the weekend several days after being attacked.

Anne Pressly, 26, who had a small role in Oliver Stone's George W Bush film, was found by her mother at her home in Little Rock last Monday.

She had been brutally beaten around the head and face, suffering massive swelling of the brain, doctors said.

Police say she might have been the victim of a burglary.

Ms Pressly's employers, KATV in Arkansas, have set up a reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer.

The station's website has received hundreds of tributes to Ms Pressly, who presented the station's morning news programme.

"She stole our hearts with her beautiful smile and bubbly personality," one couple wrote.

Ms Pressly was found on 20 October by her mother who had gone round to her house after her daughter had failed to answer her regular morning wake-up call.

Detectives have not yet identified a suspect or a motive for the attack. However, her credit card was reported to have been used after she was attacked.

Ms Pressly had a small role in W, the Oliver Stone film about President George W Bush, as a conservative commentator.

Council orders Banksy art removal

Westminster City Council has ordered a 23ft-high (7m) mural, entitled One Nation Under CCTV, to be removed from a building on Newman Street.
The artist's sketches have sold for thousands of pounds at auctions.
But deputy leader of the council Robert Davis said keeping the mural would mean "condoning" graffiti.
The mural has the words "One Nation Under CCTV" stencilled above two painted people.
One appears to be a child in a red hooded top apparently painting the words, while a police officer holding a camera and a brown dog look on.
The mural is painted on the wall of a building shared by Royal Mail and another business.
The council said the artist did not gain the necessary permission and, once it has established who owns the painted wall, the artwork will be removed by the owner.
Mr Davis, who is also chairman of the council's planning sub committee, said: "I take the view that this is graffiti and if you condone this then what is the difference between this and all the other graffiti you see scrawled across the city?
"If you condone this then you condone graffiti all over London."
Mr Davis said the building's owner had "every right" to sell or exhibit the Banksy graffiti - as long as it was removed from the wall.
"What we are against is people coming around without proper permission or consent and exhibiting their work without permission."
'Vibrant and interesting'
Art critic Rupert Maas defended Banksy's graffiti, saying it made the city "vibrant and interesting".
"He is doing something that is quite valid," Mr Maas said.
"Here he is making a point that we are increasingly governed by CCTV cameras. I think it's great - good for him."
Mr Maas added: "Of course he is not going to fill in a form and apply for permission. Notoriety is what makes Banksy exist."
Banksy has created at least one other artwork in the borough, in an underpass in Marble Arch.
But that mural has not been removed as the whole area is being redeveloped, the council said.
"One option would be to remove it and sell it and invest that money into council services," Mr Davis said.
On Thursday a Banksy oil canvas, entitled Tesco Value Tomato Soup, was sold for £117,600 by auction house Bonhams. EverQuest gold EverQuest plat

Calls to release Jordanian poet

Writers in Jordan are calling for the immediate release of a poet charged with insulting Islam in love poetry.
Islam Samhan's recent collection, Grace Like A Shadow, includes phrases from the Koran, viewed as sacrosanct by Muslims as the literal word of God.
One of Jordan's leading religious figures, the grand mufti, has accused Mr Samhan of blaspheming against "God, the angels and Prophet Muhammad".
Jordanian law bans publication of any material seen as harmful to Islam.
The head of the Jordanian writers association, Saoud Qubeilat, told the daily al-Ghad that poetry relied on figures of speech which could sound blasphemous if read superficially.
He added that the arrest of Mr Samhan would stifle creativity and freedom of expression.
Writers and artists have sent a petition to the government calling the arrest a "retreat in the freedom of expression", and urging an end to "oppression of freedom and intimidation practised against intellectuals".
Intolerance
The BBC's Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says poetry lovers hailed this first collection by Mr Samhan - whose name ironically translates as "tolerant Islam" - as a breakthrough, calling it innovative and beautiful.
However, despite the critical praise Mr Samhan has now been remanded in custody for two weeks while awaiting trial.
Grand Mufti Nuh Qdah said in a recent radio interview that poetry in which words from the Koran were combined with sexual themes was "a type of atheism and blasphemy", the AFP news agency reports.
The penalty in Jordan for insulting Islam or the Muslim prophet is up to three years in jail.
In 2006, two magazine editors were sentenced to two months in prison for reprinting controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Oasis plan Proms Stones cover

Oasis say they hope to cover Rolling Stones' We Love You at their BBC Electric Proms show at the Roundhouse on 26 October.
Noel Gallagher told BBC 6 Music they plan to perform the legendary rock band's 1967 hit with a 50 piece choir.
The choir, Crouch End Festival Chorus, were due to feature on Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul, but the plans fell through.
Instead they will join the Manchester giants for their gig, which rounds off this year's Electric Proms run.
Noel said: "Out of the all the songs on the album, there's two that didn't make it that have got a 50 piece choir.
"The original idea for this album was to record it with this choir in Abbey Road and for whatever reason, their availability and that, it didn't happen.
"So when we got offered the Proms, we called them up and said: 'I know we let you down last time but do you fancy getting up and doing a few tunes?'
"So I think they're going to sing on maybe a third of the set and we're hoping to do We Love You."
The Oasis mastermind said they'd kept frontman Liam out of the organisation for the show: "We kind of just skate around that with Liam, we don't try and freak him out too much."
He joked: "Liam's just like; 'What's happening with this Proms then? What's a prom?'
"I'm not sure, it's not something you put your child in though'."
Scottish quartet Glasvegas will be providing support for Oasis on the night of their BBC Electric Proms gig.

Film stars hit the green carpet

Stars swapped the red carpet for a green one made of recycled plastic bottles as the Tokyo International Film Festival got under way in Japan.
The environment-themed festival will see films screened using electricity generated by wind energy.
Hollywood actress Julianne Moore and her Japanese co-star Yoshino Kimura appeared at the festival for the epidemic thriller Blindness.
Fifteen films are in competition for the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix.
Climate change
They include two Japanese films, Echo of Silence directed by actor Atsuro Watabe and School Days with a Pig by Tetsu Maeda.
Other offerings at the nine-day festival include Chinese films Claustrophobia, directed by Ivy Ho and Super Typhoon by Feng Xiaoning.
Academy Award-winning American actor Jon Voight will head the board of judges for the films, all of which are being screened for the first time in Asia.
The festival also includes an ecology category with films on the environment and documentaries about climate change and animals.
The Sakura Grand Prix will be announced on 26 October. Lotro gold Ffxi gil Maple story mesos Maple story mesos

Madonna settlement 'not reached'

Pop singer Madonna is yet to reach a settlement in her divorce from film director husband Guy Ritchie, according to her publicist.
Newspaper reports had suggested the pair had reached a deal over how to share their vast fortune and custody of their children.
But in an e-mail to the Associated Press, Liz Rosenberg said a deal had not been finalised.
Guy Ritchie's representatives declined to comment on the reports.
The couple, who announced the end of their eight-year marriage last Wednesday, is reportedly worth around £300m, with the majority earned by Madonna.
Guy Ritchie is estimated to bring £20m to the total fortune. They own homes in London, Wiltshire, Los Angeles and New York.
Madonna and Ritchie married in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands and have two sons - seven-year-old Rocco and three-year-old David Banda, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006.
Madonna also has a daughter, 12-year-old Lourdes, from a previous relationship.

Madonna and Ritchie confirm split

Pop star Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie are to divorce after nearly eight years of marriage, their PR representatives have confirmed.
Relations were still cordial and they expected to agree a settlement without going to court, added Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg.
The statement followed several months of speculation that the couple's relationship was in trouble.
In July, the singer's publicist said the marriage did not "need saving".
The pair appeared together at last month's premiere of Ritchie's RocknRolla in London, walking arm-in-arm and posing for photographs in London's Leicester Square.
Financial settlement
Ritchie, 40, had rebutted suggestions his marriage was over with a public show of support at Madonna's 50th birthday party in August and also told a US magazine in July the marriage was "fine".
The statement issued on Wednesday read: "Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage, their representatives confirmed today.

The couple have two sons - Rocco (pictured in 2000) and David Banda
"They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time.
"A final settlement has not been agreed upon yet."
Madonna played a concert in Boston later as part of her Sticky and Sweet tour, but did not mention the divorce decision.
Divorce lawyer Alan Kaufman said if the couple did go to court, it would be a different scenario to the divorce between Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, in which she was awarded a £24.3m settlement.
The Sunday Times Rich List estimated that Madonna and Ritchie had a joint fortune of £300m, with most of that earned by the singer in her recording career.
"We have this basic yardstick of equality and they look at 50-50," Mr Kaufman told the BBC News website.
"You depart from it only if there's good reason to do so.
"In this sort of case, she's bound to be saying - and you couldn't really argue - there's massive reasons to depart from it.
"Because she will say, 'It's an eight-year marriage and a big chunk of wealth I already had before the marriage was started. Why should I share it?'"
Scottish wedding
Mr Kaufman said that if Ritchie "wanted to push it and he didn't mind a bit of adverse publicity, he's probably entitled to some more - but not a massive sum, nothing like half".
It was very unlikely the public would find out the final settlement, even if it was decided in court, he added.
In a rare move, the McCartney-Mills settlement was made public by a judge because of "overwhelming interest in the case".
Madonna and Ritchie married in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands and have two sons - seven-year-old Rocco and David Banda, whose adoption from Malawi was approved in May.
The singer also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from an earlier relationship.

Take That set to spar with Spears

Since their comeback Take That have won three Brit awards and an Ivor
Boy band Take That and pop star Britney Spears will go head-to-head in the UK when they release their new albums of the same title, on the same day.
In September Spears announced her sixth studio album, Circus, would go on sale in the UK on 2 December.
But now Take That have said The Circus - the follow-up to their comeback album Beautiful World released last year - will also be in shops on the same day.
Take That will release the first single off the album on 24 November.
Prestigious awards
Greatest Day was written by all four members - Mark Owen, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Gary Barlow.

Britney Spears won three prizes at the MTV Video Music Awards
Their last album sold more than 2.5 million copies in the UK, making it their most successful record to date.
The group reformed in 2005 after 10 years apart. Since then they have won a string of awards, including an Ivor Novello for single Shine and three Brit Awards.
Spears, who has been filming the video for her next single Womanizer, has also enjoyed a well-received comeback in recent months.
After suffering a very public breakdown last year, she won three prizes at last month's MTV Video Music Awards.
In the video for Womanizer she plays several different characters, including a secretary and a tattooed waitress.

Spielberg and Universal sign deal

Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks studio has signed a deal with Universal Pictures to distribute its films as his company parts ways with Paramount.
The seven-year agreement will see Universal distribute up to six DreamWorks movies a year in the US and overseas, except for India.
Spielberg made his early films, including Jaws, for Universal.
In a statement the director said: "While it feels great to come home again, it feels like I never left."
'Successful association'
Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment production company remained based at Universal's studios in Hollywood even after Paramount acquired DreamWorks in 2006.
"Universal has always been my home base so this agreement starts a new chapter in what has been a long and successful association," he said.
Earlier this month it was announced Dreamworks had agreed a joint venture with one of India's biggest entertainment conglomerates, Reliance ADA Group.
Dreamworks recently parted ways with Paramount, over ongoing friction over the costs of keeping Spielberg and his outfit there.
Stacey Snider will remain in charge of Dreamworks. Before taking the job in 2006 she was chairwoman of Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger said: "I really feel like it is a homecoming for Steven and Stacey."
Dreamworks films already finished or nearing completion at Paramount, such as The Soloist, The Lovely Bones and next summer's Transformers sequel, still will be distributed by Paramount.
About 30 other films in development while Dreamworks was based at Paramount are being split between Paramount and Universal.

Perry to host MTV Europe awards

US chart-topping singer Katy Perry has been announced as the host of the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Perry, who went to number one with her song I Kissed A Girl, will make her presenting debut at the ceremony in Liverpool on 6 November.
The singer is nominated for two awards, including best new act.
MTV organisers said they wanted the presenting role to be "much more informal and relaxed", and thought the 23-year-old would be "perfect".
'Incredible honour'
Richard Godfrey, executive producer of the event, added that Perry would bring a "musical twist" to the job of host.
Music stars have been presenters of previous ceremonies, including Snoop Dogg, Tom Jones and Christina Aguilera.
Perry said that to follow in their footsteps was "an incredible honour".
"Do they know what they're getting themselves into? I just hope that I don't spill my cocktail!" she added.
Perry's chart-topper has sold five million copies around the world and is also in the running for most addictive track at the awards. lotro gold lotr gold lord of the ring gold

Singer Britney set to speak out

The singer, who is preparing to release a new album, admits in a trailer for the show: "I've been through a lot and there's a lot that people don't know."
Spears is also set to touch upon the loneliness of celebrity life in the programme, to be shown on 30 November.
She recently won three MTV awards after a period which saw her lose custody of her sons and be admitted to hospital.
'You just cope'
In a taster for the documentary, Spears reflects on erratic behaviour which characterised her troubled period.
"I sit there and I look back and I'm like, 'I'm a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?" she says.
Speaking of living life in the public eye, the singer adds: "I'm kind of stuck in this place and it's like, how do you deal? And you just cope, and that's what I do. I just cope with it, every day."
Spears is expected to touch upon her stays in a psychiatric facility and the custody battle with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.
The singer is on the comeback trail, making a favourable impression at the recent MTV Awards after her much-criticised performance at the show in 2007.
Her sixth studio album, Circus, is due to be released on 2 December, which is her 27th birthday.
Spears is also due to visit the UK to appear on The X Factor, expected to coincide with the release of her new record.

Cusack 'stalker' is to face trial

A woman accused of stalking Hollywood actor John Cusack is to face trial after a last-minute plea bargain was rejected at the court in Los Angeles.
The deal called for Emily Leatherman to receive five years probation and to stay away from Mr Cusack for 10 years.
Judge Susan Speer dismissed the proposal when Ms Leatherman indicated she had been coerced into the deal by her legal team.
The 33-year-old was arrested earlier this year outside the actor's home.
She has been in custody ever since, and if convicted she faces a further four years in jail.
Shouting
Ms Leatherman accused her lawyer, Brent Merritt, of using scare tactics to get her to agree to the deal.
Mr Merritt, who was appointed against her wishes, denied the allegation in court.
However, before she was led away by bailiffs, Ms Leatherman shouted: "I want to take it."
In August, Judge Speer ruled Ms Leatherman was mentally competent to stand trial, but not to act as her own lawyer.
Cusack was granted a restraining order against Ms Leatherman in 2006.
The star, who is best known for films as Being John Malkovich and High Fidelity, is expected to testify during the trial.

Gloomy news at music conference

Who will Britain's next music stars be, and how will you listen to them?
The future of bands and the business have been in the spotlight at In the City, the UK's top music industry summit, in Manchester.
Parked on double yellow lines outside the swanky Midland Hotel is a car packed with Scousers who are calling over anybody who looks like they might have come from the conference within.
Each perplexed person that approaches gets thrust a CD through the window and an invitation to watch a band the following night.

Musicians including Peter Hook (centre) discussed celebrity vs creativity
"That's me," says David Tyrrell from the back seat, pointing at his EP.
It is a cocky ploy to get noticed by the massed ranks of music business wheelers and dealers at the event, set up by the late music impresario Tony Wilson 16 years ago.
Inside, the attendees have been chewing over the future of the industry in great detail, debating the digital future, new ways of making money, and the shift in power from record labels to technology companies and artists (or not, depending on who you believe).
But it all comes down to one thing. As the event's motto says: "It's all about the music, stupid."
Without new artists shouting from the sidelines, double yellow or not, the music scene will cease to exist.
'Super commercial'
So as well as the deals and debates, In the City, which ended on Tuesday, also hosted showcase gigs by the cream of British unsigned talent, with 500 acts playing in all.
Oasis, Radiohead and Suede played at the first In the City. Muse and Coldplay appeared in 1998, Snow Patrol performed in 2000 and The Arctic Monkeys put in an appearance three years ago.
It attracts some of the most influential talent spotters in the business, such as Seymour Stein, who signed Madonna, The Ramones and Talking Heads to his Sire label.
Asked whether he was watching the acts on show, the 66-year-old industry legend said on Tuesday: "What the hell do you think I'm doing? I was out seeing bands last night, and the night before, and tonight.
"This has done so much for the north of England and Manchester in particular. I heartily endorse it. Long may In the City reign."
While he may be on the lookout for new signings, one theme of the event has been the reduction in the number of record deals being done in recent years, and the reluctance of the music industry and media to take risks on new talent.
'Terrible or magnificent'
Cerne Canning, who manages Franz Ferdinand, says 100 acts are normally signed by record labels in the UK by October every year. This year, it is more like 10 to 15 - and they are mainly "super commercial".
"Most things aren't selling, and the bigger things aren't selling enough, so people are being very cautious," he said.

Oasis played at the first In the City
Record labels are holding back in the face of an uncertain climate, while bands are less tempted by the deals on offer, he believes.
"You worry about creativity," he said. "I'm sure there's lots of stuff going on under the radar and on a grassroots level, but the marketplace is going to be a pretty barren place in a year. It feels like a very tentative time."
Warner Music, one of the major labels, has cut back on new signings. But Warner boss Lyor Cohen said that was because greatness is evident from the start, and there is no point taking a punt on anything less.
"There was a time when I signed every possible average artist," he said. "We were quite arrogant thinking we could make good magnificent. Good sucks - I'd rather be terrible or magnificent."
Illegal file-sharing
Cohen was taking part in a head-to-head debate with Jazz Summers, the venerable manager of The Verve, in a bout billed as a battle of the music business titans.
The two are on opposite sides of an argument about who should own the songs, with Summers leading a campaign for artists to wrestle control of their copyright from their labels.
But Cohen warned: "It's very important for us to own those rights if we are going to have an infrastructure around the world of thousands of people, if we're going to invest in new artists to create new music and promote and market it."

Charlene Soraia was among those hoping to attract attention
How to sell music in the digital world - and who should get the money - was another big question.
The choice is between mobiles and computers, between a la carte (pick and pay for the songs you want), subscription (all you can eat for a set monthly fee) and ad-funded (free but with an advert in the way).
And will any of those combat illegal file-sharing, the industry's biggest bete noir, anyway?
Celebrity debate
Nobody yet has the answers, even if everybody thinks they do.
It was left to a smattering of stars to lighten the mood. New Order's Peter Hook took part in a debate on celebrity, aiming his venom at the "pretty robots" of X Factor and advising bands to "chin" those who ridicule them.
Jarvis Cocker, meanwhile, played the Open University professor with greased hair, thick glasses, a 1970s suit and a pointy stick while making a Powerpoint presentation about the art of lyrics.
He switched from academic analysis of I Am the Walrus to a karaoke version of Life by Des'Ree.
As for the new talent, the names creating a buzz here included The Grants ("Alan McGee's favourite new band"), who play gentle, jangly guitar epics, Cuban-Belgian-Swedish singer EJ, and frenetic artrock group Baddies.
Brit School graduate Charlene Soraia, who charmed with her dreamy voice and guitar, indie hopefuls Flashguns and jazz-funk singer The Jessie Rose Trip ("Manchester's Amy Winehouse") were also among the hottest names.
If any of those are truly magnificent, it is up to the industry to make sure they get the chance to prove it. buy warhammer goldbuy warhammer goldbuy warhammer gold

Jamie Oliver defends new series

Jamie Oliver has defended his new TV show after being criticised by residents in Rotherham.
The celebrity chef's series, Ministry Of Food, aims to make the town "the culinary capital of the UK" by teaching people how to learn to cook.
But he has been criticised for giving the area a bad name.
He said: "Some people in Rotherham think we're there making it look bad but if anything I came away thinking, 'What a great bunch of people'."
Jamie added: "They're straight talking no-nonsense and if people were upset with what I made then that would upset me more than anything.
"In the nine months I had there, I had a great time."
One councillor, John Gilding, said the show gave the impression all the town's residents lived on "doner kebabs".
But Jamie praised the local community and applauded them for taking an honest approach when he was filming his four part series.
"If you're filming in London people are so often insincere because they are taken over by the crews," he said.
"But in Rotherham they didn't care one bit for me or the crew and life continued as normal.
"From a documentary point of view it was amazing because you saw it as it was."

He argued that the aim of the show was to inspire people to cook and pass their skills on.
"I realised that since most parents are working these days, we're not really learning key skills anymore," Jamie explained.
"So I thought, 'How can we learn to cook?'. I did some basic sums and if you're to teach four of your mates how to cook and get them to teach four of their mates how to cook, if that happened 13 times, that's the population of Great Britain.
"It's a way of inspiring people in the sense that if we get started on the problem now then our contribution will be massive. If we keep waiting for the government to come up with a solution, then that isn't going to happen."
The programme, which sees Jamie teaching eight families in Rotherham how to cook, goes out every Tuesday on Channel 4.

Chihuahua is box office top dog

The film features the voice of Drew Barrymore
Canine family film Beverly Hills Chihuahua was best in show in the North American box office, according to early studio estimates.
The comedy featuring Drew Barrymore's voice as a pampered pooch who gets lost in Mexico took $29m (£16.5m) in its opening weekend.
Thriller Eagle Eye fell one place to number two, taking $17.7m (£10.1m).
Teen comedy Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist opened in third place taking $12m (£6.8m).
The film, starring Juno actor Michael Cera, recouped nearly all of its $13m (£7.4m) cost.
Richard Gere romantic drama Nights in Rodanthe and western Appaloosa rounded out the top five.
Other new entries in the top 10 include An American Carol, a satire of Hollywood's liberal politics, which opened at number nine and documentary Religulous, humorist Bill Maher's attack on organised religions, at 10.


The top 12 movies brought in $95.4m (£54.3m), up 42% from the same weekend a year ago, when The Game Plan was number one with $16.6m (£9.4m).
"We had a huge weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
"That's really due to the little Chihuahua. The little dog made a big difference."
Two other movies, comedy How to Lose Friends and Alienate People and the apocalyptic Blindness, both failed to make an impact on cinema goers.
Blindness, featuring Julianne Moore, Danny Glover and Mark Ruffalo in a nightmare tale about a town suddenly hit by a sudden epidemic of sight loss, took just $2m (£1.1m).
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, based on Toby Young's memoir and starring Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst, took $1.4m (£797,000) across 1,750 cinemas. aoc power leveling age of conan power leveling