Dating comedy Think Like a Man is still on top at the North American box office after taking $18 million between Friday and Sunday.

Chris Brown stars in the film, based on Steve Harvey’s dating advice book.

But Think Like a Man is likely to be swept aside by The Avengers when it opens in the US on Friday.

The super-hero blockbuster has already been released in 39 countries and has made $178 million in international ticket sales so far.

Second place in this weekend’s US and Canadian chart was taken by Aardman animation The Pirates! Band of Misfits which, according to studio estimates, plundered $11.4 million in its opening weekend.

The nautical comedy sees Hugh Grant provide the voice for an inept buccaneer.

Dating comedy Think Like a Man is still on top at the North American box office after taking $18 million between Friday and Sunday

Zac Efron’s romantic drama The Lucky One fell one place to three, having made $11.3 million in its second weekend on release.

With The Hunger Games at four, it was left to romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement to round out this week’s top five.

According to Paul Dergarabedian of box office tracker Hollywood.com, “going to the movies… clearly was not the number one priority this weekend”.

“There’s so much anticipation for The Avengers that the newcomers kind of got lost in the shuffle.”

Those newcomers included Jason Statham action thriller Safe and John Cusack’s The Raven, a horror mystery inspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe.

Safe was ranked sixth in the chart with $7.7 million, while The Raven claimed seventh place with $7.3 million.

The film features an ensemble of Marvel comic book characters including Captain America, the Incredible Hulk and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man.

Top 5 films in US and Canada

• 1. Think Like a Man – $18 million

• 2. The Pirates! Band of Misfits – $11.4 million

• 3. The Lucky One – $11.3 million

• 4. The Hunger Games – $11.25 million

• 5. The Five-Year Engagement – $11.2 million