BBC News Online: Entertainment: Film

Ali enters ring on Christmas Day

The Ali film was nearly shelved in 2000 for lack of money

The film about former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali beat the previous Christmas Day record, held by Robin Williams' Patch Adams which earned $8.1m (£5.6m) on 25 December 1998.

The film has already enjoyed the best-ever opening for a December release, though some analysts say that its length - three hours, which limits the number of theatres which can run the film - has stopped it breaking major box office records.

'Biggest movie'

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone - known to US audiences as Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone - remains one of the US box office's biggest earners, after the best-ever opening in film history.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros, said: "Potter will easily break the $300m mark - it's the biggest movie ever in Warner history."

Number two in the Christmas period chart was Ocean's Eleven, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, which earned $21.4m (£15m).

Also opening on Christmas Day along with Ali was the Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman romantic comedy Kate & Leopold, which earned $2.6m (£1.8m).

The Ali film is predicted to do good business into the new year.

Jeff Blake, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony, which released the film, said: "Muhammad Ali is probably the most known person around the world."

"And the good news is, everybody's heard of Will Smith - they are a great one-two combination."