James Bond film 'Casino Royale' has been beaten by a close margin at the US box office by 'Happy Feet', an animated comedy starring penguins.
'Happy Feet' took $42.3m (€32.9m) in its first three days of release, with 'Casino Royale' taking in $40.6m (€31.6m) - though it did play on almost 400 fewer screens than its rival with the tap-dancing penguins.
Featuring the voices of Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, 'Happy Feet' has drawn comparisons with the Oscar-winning nature documentary 'March of the Penguins'.
'Happy Feet' is directed by Australian film-maker George Miller, producer of the 'Babe' films, and features a cameo from the late TV naturalist, Steve Irwin.
Read the review of 'Casino Royale' here.
