Wiki News/'iCarly' and 'Schmucks' edges 'Inception' at Friday b.o.

Both "iCarly: The Movie", which stars Miranda Cosgrove and "Dinner for Schmucks," also Steve Carell turns in another comedy webshow and goofy performance as a triumphant nerd, narrowly outpaced the fever dream that is "Inception" at the North American boxoffice on Friday.

The G rated feature about Carly and friends playing around on their popular webshow, took the top box office with an estimated $19.4 million for the day as it debuted in 4,057 theaters. This is a new record of an all-time live-action G rated movie and widest release (including both live-action and animated) where the previous record held by 3D and IMAX 3D animated Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 3" made over 4,028 theaters respectingly, and an huge $110 million over it's opening weekend. Even if "iCarly" opens in more theaters than an huge animated hit, it is in possible if it can make way more money than "Toy Story 3".

The PG-13-rated joke-fest, directed by Jay Roach and also starring straight man Paul Rudd, took in second place with an estimated $8.4 million for the day as it debuted in 2,911 theaters. But the new movie, produced by Universal, DreamWorks and Spyglass, could still find itself in a tight battle for the top spot as the weekend progresses, since Warners' "Inception" continues to demonstrate remarkable holding power.

Grossing about $8.2 million, Christopher Nolan's Rubik's Cube of a movie was down just 38% from its previous Friday from first to third as it entered its third weekend and could still emerge the weekend winner by the end of Sunday.

The frame's two other new openers didn't attract quite as many lookie-loos.

"Charlie St. Cloud," Universal's PG-13 supernatural-tinged romance starring Zac Efron and directed by Burr Steers, checked in in fifth place for the day with $5.6 million as it set up shop in 2,718 locations.

Warners' 3D "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," which the studio produced with Village Roadshow, bowed in the seventh spot with $4.3 million. But as the PG-movie directed by Brad Peyton plays in 3,705 theaters, the talking-animals pic could still rise in the rankings for the weekend with the help of matinee audiences.

Rounding out the leader board, "Salt," Sony's Angelina Jolie spy yarn, ranked fourth with around $5.9 million as it began its second weekend.

The sixth spot went to Uni's animated "Despicable Me," which also offers Carell's comic-stylings in a voice role, as it collected $4.7 million and crossed the $175 million mark.