Carrey's Elephant Tops U.S. Box Office

Jim Carrey has scored the biggest movie debut of 2008 - as an animated elephant.

The funnyman's Horton Hears A Who! has topped the U.S. box office with a $45.1 million opening weekend haul.

The film marks Carrey's second outing as a Dr. Seuss character - he also took the lead in How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

The family film easily held off the competition at the U.s. box office; last weekend's chart-topper, 10,000 B.c., dropped to number two with a $16.4 million second weekend take.

Djimon Hounsou's ultimate fighting film Never Back Down debuted at three with $8.6 million.

The new top five in America is:

1. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!

2. 10,000 B.c.

3. Never Back Down

4. College Road Trip

5. Vantage Point