Hannibal holds UK chart

Sir Anthony is enjoying a worldwide hit with Hannibal

Serial killer movie Hannibal, the sequel to Silence of the Lambs, has remained number one at the UK's cinemas for the second consecutive week.

The film, in which Sir Anthony Hopkins reprises his grisly 1991 role as the flesh-eating Dr Hannibal Lecter, took £3.5m from Friday to Sunday, according to the figures compiled for Screen International magazine.

Top 10 UK films

1.Hannibal

2. The Emperor's New Groove

3.What Women Want

4.The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle

5.Dude, Where's My Car?

6. Finding Forrester

7.Traffic

8. Dungeons and Dragons

9.Cast Away

10.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

But it was a big drop from the record-breaking £6.4m taken in its opening weekend. Meanwhile, cartoon fantasy The Emperor's New Groove moved up one place to two in its second week with takings up to £1.8m from £1.2m.

Mel Gibson's comedy What Women Want dropped to number three after four weeks with £1.2m.

Sir Sean Connery's new release Finding Forrester came in at number six with £381,822.

In Hannibal, FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Julianne Moore, who won Lecter's trust in the last film, is used as bait to lure him out of retirement in Italy.

The film's UK success mirrors its experience in the US, where the movie is still number one after three weeks.

Emperor's New Groove has raised its takings

Last weekend alone it took £11m ($15.8m) in the US and worldwide it has taken a total of £137m - more than double its production budget of £60m.

The release of The Emperor's New Groove coincided with the start of the half-term school holidays in many UK schools.

Voiced by US comedians John Goodman and David Spade, the film has so far taken more than £57.5m ($83m) in its home country, where it was released before Christmas.

Mel Gibson has also proved a big comedy hit with audiences in the US with What Women Want, where the movie was in the top 10 for several weeks from December last year.

Finding Forrester also proved disappointing in the US where the movie did not go above seventh place.

It sees Sir Sean playing a reclusive author playing mentor to an Afro-American teenager writing prodigy.