'Brave' - the latest animated movie from Disney Pixar - took $66.7 million to top the U.S. box office in its opening weekend. The film, about a princess in medieval Scotland, finally ended 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted's' run at the top of the chart, reports BBC News.

It's the first Disney Pixar movie to feature a female protagonist, and appeared to be a winner with audiences. Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, wrote, "Their [Pixar] track record is just unbelievable.The Pixar brand just carries so much weight with the audience. It doesn't matter almost what the story is about if it has the Pixar name". The movie, which features the voice of Boardwalk Empire star Kelly MacDonald, received lukewarm reviews from critics, though family audiences flocked to theaters to check out the film this weekend. The movie's success meant that 'Madagascar 3' was relegated to second position while another new release - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - debuted at No.3. The movie, starring British actors Dominic Cooper and Rufus Sewell, took a total of $16.5 million over the weekend. 'Brave', which closes the Edinburgh International Film Festival this week, is the thirteenth consecutive Pixar release to open at No.1.

Elsewhere at the box-office this weekend, Keira Knightley's latest movie 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World' took just $3.8 million to debut at No.10, though had a more limited release than other movies. Woody Allen's 'To Rome with Love' opened in five cinemas and made $379,000.