LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Universal Pictures saw plenty of green over the weekend as its remake of The Grinch pulled in US$66 million (S$91 million) in North American theatres, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported.

The three-day estimate put the ever-popular Dr Seuss tale - with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the small-hearted, ill-tempered, kid-hating title character - well ahead of last week's No. 1 film, Bohemian Rhapsody.

The latter slid to second place with a still-healthy take of US$30.9 million.

In third place, at US$10.1 million, was new release Overlord, a supernatural horror film set against a backdrop of the D-Day invasion.

Another seasonal film, The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, placed fourth at US$9.6 million.

Fifth spot went to new release The Girl In The Spider's Web, which took in what analysts called a disappointing US$8 million.

Claire Foy - a young Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's 2016-17 series The Crown - makes the not-inconsiderable leap to portraying tough, brooding, street-smart Lisbeth Salander, also known as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.