Pirate Swashbuckler Sets Box Office Record

The new Pirates Of The Caribbean film took a record-breaking £2.3 million at the UK box office on day one of its release, figures have shown. It is Disney's biggest ever first day opening.

The swashbuckling movie, starring Johnny Depp, is now on course to become the summer's biggest blockbuster. But it faces competition from Superman Returns. The superhero movie is out in the UK on July 14.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a follow-up to the 2003 original. Alongside Depp it stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom.

Advance sales at UK cinemas topped £1 million and it proved more popular than Spider-Man 2, which took £1.57 million on its first day.

Other films which proved popular on their first day include X-Men 3 (£1.02 million) and Chronicles Of Narnia (£845,000).