Zombies defeat robot Jesus

Zombie movie "Dawn of the Dead" has knocked "The Passion of the Christ" from the number one spot in the US box office charts.

It emerged last week that Mel Gibson had used a robot Jesus, costing more than £200,000, for some of the scenes in his Biblical epic.

"Dawn of the Dead" ended "The Passion's" three-week run at the top of the US chart. It took $27.3 million (£14.8 million) in its first weekend.

The horror flick stars Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames in a remake of George Romero's 1979 horror tale about survivors sheltering from flesh eating zombies in a shopping mall. It cost just $26 million to make.

"The Passion" was still second, grossing $19.2 million. In total, it has $295.3 million (£160 million) since its opening on February 25th, making it the 18th biggest movie on the US domestic chart.

In third place on its debut weekend was the serial-killer thriller "Taking Lives," starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke.

With fewer cinemas showing it, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", with Kate Winslet and Jim Cary, came in at number six.

Overall box office takings rose for the fourth consecutive weekend.

The top ten in full:
1 - Dawn of the Dead
2 - The Passion of the Christ
3 - Taking Lives
4 - Starsky & Hutch
5 - Secret Window
6 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
7 - Hidalgo
8 - Agent Cody Banks: Destination London
9 - 50 First Dates
10 - Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

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