Cruise plays a US soldier in The Last Samurai

The Return of the King is still at number one at the box office, with takings of £3.71m over the weekend.

The Last Samurai, which stars Cruise as a US Civil War veteran hired to train Japanese soldiers, has gone in at number two with receipts of £2.73m.

Bill Murray comedy Lost In Translation is new at five after taking £797,000.

UK and Ireland box office 1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2. The Last Samurai 3. Peter Pan 4. Love Actually 5. Lost In Translation Source: Screen International

The new version of Peter Pan has slipped one place to three, while romantic comedy Love Actually is down a place to four. Oscar-tipped US Civil War drama Cold Mountain also drops a place to six.

After only four weeks on the chart, The Return of the King has already taken £48.2m in the UK and Ireland.

It has dominated British and American cinemas over Christmas and the new year, and is tipped to break box office records around the world.

In its first five days at the North American box office it made a record $125m (£71m), beating a record set by Spider-Man in 2002. It has now reached $312.3m (£169m) in the US and Canada.