Heaven is for Real is holding onto its place in the US box office top 10 some five weeks after it released to theatres.

The movie about a four-year-old boy's visit to Heaven has defied the sceptics who thought it would take in no more than around $40 million.

In fact, the film has taken in twice that amount and is inching towards the $100 million mark.

Over the weekend it slipped to number 6 but still took in a respectable $4.4 million.

The film is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same title about Colton Burpo's near death experience.

Its box office success is in spite of the lukewarm response from critics and even some Christians, who question whether Colton's account is biblical.

Nonetheless, the Sony flick continues to sell seats at the theatre and has so far taken in a very respectable $82.3 million.

It was pushed further down the top 10 by the arrival of Godzilla, which took in a massive $93.2 million on its opening weekend.

Godzilla claimed the second highest opening weekend takings in the US so far this year behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which debuted last month at $95 million.

Sliding down to number 14 was the other big Christian movie of the season, God's Not Dead, which has also performed well at the box office, taking in nearly $60 million since its March release and more than making its money back for its makers, Pure Flix.