Surprise hit Bend it Like Beckham clings precariously to the top of the UK box-office chart for a second successive week, as cinema returns showed it fighting off a challenge from The Scorpion King. With all the receipts counted, Beckham was on £1.7m, and the American blockbuster just behind with £1.6m. The animated comedy Ice Age is at number three.

Comic adaptations contine to find their way onto the billboards. After X-Men, Spider-Man and Ang Lee's take on the Incredible Hulk, Hollywood has begun to cast further afield for the next hero to bring to the big screen. The latest candidate is Hellboy, the brainchild of artist Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics. A sulphuric, red-skinned giant who battles werewolves and vampires, Hellboy has been snapped up by Sony-based Revolution studios. Blade 2 director Guillermo Del Toro will direct the adaptation, while Ron Perlman is set to take the title role.