“Get Smart” Easily Beats “The Love Guru” in North America

Warner Bros. thriller-comedy “Get Smart” is expected to top the box office in North America this weekend as the film takes in estimated 39.1 million dollars over the four-day period, according to preliminary figures released Sunday. “Get Smart,” starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway, is the latest big-screen adaptation of the popular 1960s sitcom about the bumbling U.S. agent Maxwell Smart on a mission to stop a plot by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. Meanwhile, Paramount's heavily-marketed comedy “The Love Guru,” the weekend's other new wide release, is pegged to finish in a sad fourth place at the box office, with just 14 million dollars in receipts, the Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm Media By Numbers predicted. In a near-tie for second place were two movies that premiered earlier. DreamWorks Animation's “Kung Fu Panda” will take in 21.7 million dollars over the weekend, narrowly followed by last week's box office leader, Marvel Studios‘ “The Incredible Hulk,” with an estimated take of 21.6 million dollars. The panda movie has grossed estimated 155.6 million dollars in North America since its release three weeks ago, and the hulk, in its second week of release, has a track record of 96.4 million dollars. The two films were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.

1. Get Smart : $39.15m
2. Kung Fu Panda : $21.70m
3. The Incredible Hulk : $21.55m