"Pirates" takes UK box office by storm

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' took the UK box office by storm on its opening weekend, loosening Spider-Man's grip after a three-week run at the top.

The third in the Disney series, with Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, took 13.4 million pounds over three days, compared with Spider-Man's opening 11.8 million in the same number of cinemas, according to Screen International.

''Spider-Man 3,'' in second place, managed another 1.28 million pounds in its fourth week for a total of 30.5 million.

Third, unchanged, was ''Zodiac,'' based on the real-life 1970s serial killings in San Francisco, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.

Down two places at four was horror sequel ''28 Weeks Later'' while at five, down one, was children's fantasy adventure ''Bridge to Terabithia''.

Also down one, at six, was Mitchell and Webb comedy, ''Magicians'', set in the world of stage conjuring.

Australian movie ''Jindabyne'' made its debut in seventh place with an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story on how a group of men on a fishing party react to the discovery of a girl's body.

New at eight was Bollywood romantic comedy ''Cheeni Kum'' in which an unmarried Delhi woman visiting London falls for an Indian restaurant owner old enough to be her father.

Down three places at nine was ''Lovewrecked,'' the tale of an 18-year-old girl stranded on a remote beach with her rock music idol after a boating accident.

At 10, down two places and having taken 21.8 million pounds during its nine-week chart run, was Rowan Atkinson in ''Mr Bean's Holiday''.

Reuters AKJ DB0902