A clampdown on pirated movies and a string of Hollywood blockbusters have led to record box-office earnings in Malaysia, a report said today.

The scarcity of cheap pirated movies since the launch of the government blitz has created a new pool of cinema-goers as people abandon their VCD and DVD players and head for the cinemas.

Major drawcards have been 'Finding Nemo', 'Charlie's Angels 2:Full Throttle', 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' and 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life'.