Bullock`s `Proposal` woos date crowds with $34.1mn

Los Angeles, June 22: Movie audiences accepted a proposal from Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, who scored the summer`s first big romantic comedy hit.Bullock and Reynolds` "The Proposal" took in $34.1 million to open as the weekend`s No. 1 movie, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Disney flick delivered the biggest opening ever for Bullock, nearly double that of her previous best of USD17.6 million for the 2007 paranormal thriller "Premonition."

Bullock stars as a ruthless publishing executive who coerces her put-upon assistant (Reynolds) into a fake marriage so she can avoid deportation back to her native Canada. "I think the market was ready for a really fun, broad romantic comedy," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney`s motion-picture group. "The Proposal" took over the top spot from the Warner Bros. bachelor-party comedy "The Hangover," which slipped to second place with USD26.9 million. A surprise smash hit, "The Hangover" raised its total to USD152.9 million. Disney`s animated adventure "Up" was No. 3 with USD21.3 million, lifting its total to $224.1 million and following Paramount`s "Star Trek" as the second movie of 2009 to cross the USD200 million mark. Debuting in the fourth spot with USD20.2 million was Sony`s caveman comedy "Year One," starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as Neanderthals on a road trip after they are banished from their village. It was summer`s second big-name comedy set in prehistoric times to take a back seat to a wedding-themed romp. Will Ferrell`s "Land of the Lost" opened at No. 3 in early June, the same weekend "The Hangover" pulled off a No. 1 upset. "June is officially comedy month at the theaters. Comedy is really ruling things," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. Woody Allen`s latest comedy, "Whatever Works," had a strong start in limited release, hauling in USD280,720 in nine theaters for an average of USD31,191 a cinema. That compares to an average of USD11,163 in 3,056 theaters for "The Proposal" and USD6,684 in 3,022 cinemas for "Year One." Released by Sony Pictures Classics, "Whatever Works" stars Larry David as a misanthropic New Yorker who forges unlikely relationships with a conservative Southern family (Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr). While some of June`s comedies performed well, the month generally has been a downer for Hollywood, which tore through the first part of the year with a record Box-Office pace. Revenues this weekend were up slightly compared to the same period a year ago, but that followed three straight weekends of declining box-office receipts. For the year, revenue remains up a solid 10 percent, though summer ticket sales are dead even with last year`s, Dergarabedian said. That should turn around this coming weekend with the debut of the blockbuster sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which industry analysts say could deliver the year`s first USD100 million opening. Paramount`s "Transformers" sequel got off to a big start in Great Britain and Japan, where it opened this weekend in advance of its US debut Wednesday, pulling in USD14.1 million in Britain and USD5.8 million in Japan. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "The Proposal," USD34.1 million. 2. "The Hangover," USD26.9 million. 3. "Up," USD21.3 million. 3. "Year One," USD20.2 million. 5. "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," USD11.3 million. 6. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," USD7.3 million. 7. "Star Trek," USD4.7 million. 8. "Land of the Lost," USD4 million. 9. "Imagine That," USD3.1 million. 10. "Terminator Salvation," USD3.07 million. Bureau Report