Despite six new entries taking up residence in the UK's top 15 chart this week nothing could come close to challenging 20th Century Fox's X2: X-Men United.

The blockbuster enjoyed a third weekend at the top, dropping just 31% from the previous weekend to take $3.4m (£2.1m) from 468 sites - an average of $7,336 per location. X2, which has earned $27.2m (£16.7m) so far in the UK, will face its first substantial competition next weekend which sees the launch of Warner Bros' The Matrix Reloaded.

Although not the highest placed of the week's new entries it was Metro Tartan's Secretary that turned most heads. The black comedy about a S&M office romance went out on limited release at 30 sites to capture 11th place with $268,373 (£165,318). This gave it the highest site average ($8,946) of any title on release in the UK over the weekend.

The launch was the highest three-day weekend opening Metro Tartan has recorded to date ahead of Wong Kar Wai's In The Mood For Love, which claimed $149,719 (£92,227) in October 2000, and the $97,432 (£60,018) recorded by The Last Seduction - the company's highest earner with $1.7m (£1.04m) - in 1994.

Echoing The Last Seduction, Secretary took second position in the chart of London's West End cinemas with a mighty $155,625 (£95,865) taken from 12 sites - an average of $12,969.

Secretary is already the distributor's fifth highest earning film of the past five years - behind In The Mood For Love ($919,248), Sex & Lucia ($610,450), Battle Royale ($407,817) and Irreversible ($280,261). Positive reviews and word of mouth should help Secretary surpass these and continue to play solidly amongst the blockbuster season.

Steven Shainberg's film, which stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, was also given the second widest release that Metro Tartan has ever done. Only 1998's thriller Dead Man's Curve debuted at more sites - 33, taking $58,644 (£36,125) over its opening weekend and $140,500 (£86,548) in total.

The highest placed opener of the week was Warner Bros' kids comedy Kangaroo Jack. The film, which stars Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson took second place with $1.2m (£764,917) at 373 sites - a solid average of $3,329.

Momentum Pictures' The Actors placed just ahead of Secretary in tenth place with $368,279 (£226,860) at 270 sites for a poor average of $1,364. Also underwhelming were Fox's Antwone Fisher and Pathe's To Kill A King. Denzel Washington's directorial debut, released exclusively in Odeon cinemas, took $97,364 (£59,976) from 46 sites while the UK film managed just $96,917 (£59,701) from 53.

A strong bow for Eros International's Armaan landed the film 13th place ahead of Antwone Fisher with $180,396 (£111,174) from 28 sites - a $6,443 average.

Johnny English continued to show its might holding third place in its sixth week, dropping just 17% from the previous week, and has taken $28.9m (£17.8m). Another UIP release, Old School, fell from second to fourth and 23%, to take $793,631 (£488,877) from 311 sites for a 10 day total of $2.5m (£1.5m).

Meanwhile Columbia TriStar's Darkness Falls dropped just 12% in its second weekend to land fifth place with $692,943 (£426,853) from 283 sites. The horror has a 10 day cumulative of $1.8m (£1.1m).