High School Musical 3: Senior Year Goes to Top of the Class

Teenage favourite High School Musical 3: Senior Year has stormed to the top of the U.S. box office grossing a mammoth $42 million in it's opening weekendThe Disney movie, which stars teen actors Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, set a new record for a musical after trumping the $27.8 million (£17.8 million) Mamma Mia! opened with in July (08).It's the third film in the surprise hit movie franchise but it's the first outing for the Wildcats on the big screen. The core cast are on the verge of graduation and Troy and Gabriella face going separate ways as they both go to different colleges.High School Musical 3 comfortably beat horror film Saw V, which took $30.5 million (£19.55) to debut at two. Last week's number one, Max Payne, the big screen adaptation of the violent video game, slips to number three in its second week on release with $7.6 million, while Beverly Hills Chihuahua is at four with $6.9 million.Meanwhile, Colin Farrell and Edward Norton's cop drama Pride and Glory just scraped its way into the top five with a poor opening of $6.3 million.The Secret Life of Bees fell three places from three to six while Oscar hopeful W also fell three places from four to seven Eagle Eye was also outside the top five down at eight.1. High School Musical 3 - $42 million.

2. Saw V - $30.5 million.

3. Max Payne - $7.6 million.

4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua - $6.9 million.

5. Pride and Glory - $6.3 million.

6. The Secret Life of Bees $5.9 million.

7. W. - $5.3 million.

8. Eagle Eye - $5.1 million.

9. Body of Lies - $4.1 million.

10. Quarantine - $2.6 million.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw