Despite a lukewarm response from critics, the flick grossed 34 million dollars over the three-day weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Oscar-winning brothers Joel and Ethan Coen came in second with their remake of the John Wayne western "True Grit."
Jeff Bridges plays drunken, hard-nosed US Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn in the new version of the 1969 classic, which took in 25.6 million dollars, giving the Coen brothers their best ever opening.
Bridges also stars in last weekend's top film -- "TRON: Legacy" -- which captured 20.1 million dollars in ticket sales in its second weekend, slipping down to third in the rankings.
The sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult hit stars 61-year-old Oscar-winner Bridges appearing opposite a computer-generated version of his younger self from the original movie.
The original "TRON" -- about a hacker transported into a computer game world -- was one of the first-ever computer animated films. It did well at the box office and became a cult for a generation of budding sci-fi fans.
In fourth spot was "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," the third installment in the "The Chronicles of Narnia" series based on the classic C.S. Lewis children's books. It earned 10.8 million dollars.
"Yogi Bear," a blend of 3D and live-action fun, notched up 8.8 million dollars in earnings ahead of Mark Wahlberg's boxing drama "The Fighter," in sixth place with 8.5 million.
Jack Black 3D comedy "Gulliver's Travels," based on Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel about a voyage to the Lilliput kingdom of tiny people, opened in a disappointing seventh place, with 7.2 million in ticket sales.
Ballet thriller "Black Swan," starring Natalie Portman as a dancer in a New York company exploring the dark sides of the industry and her own sensuality, dropped down a notch to eighth. It made 8.38 million dollars.
In ninth place, the animated Disney fable "Tangled" about long-haired Princess Rapunzel netted 6.5 million dollars, notching up a total of 143.8 million over its five weeks in theaters.
Rounding out the top 10 was romantic thriller "The Tourist," starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. It earned 5.7 million.
British historical drama "The King's Speech," featuring Colin Firth as a stuttering King George VI who is helped to overcome his impediment with the help of an eccentric speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush, earned 4.6 million in a limited showing in 700 theaters.
